THE  ONE -FOOTED  FAIRY 

AND  OTHER  STORIES 


THK  QfJKKS    WAH   WATCHlSd   TffK   VKW    DASCK    «p, «) 


.THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY 

AND  OTHER  STORIES 

BY  ALICE  BROWN 

WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 


BOSTON  AND   NEW  YORK 
HOUGHTON  MIFFLIN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,   191 1,  BY  ALICE  BROWN 
ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 

Published  October  zqti 


^?3  7  93 


TO 

LANNIE,  REGGIE 
AND  COMPTON 


CONTENTS 

The  One-Footed  Fairy 1 

Perizad  and  Perizada 15 

Peter  the  Simple 32 

The  Cry  Fairy 46 

How  Gladheart  went  to  Court       .        .        .        .61 
The  Hippogriff  and  the  Dragon  ...        75 

The  Land  without  Common  Folks  .        .        .92 

The  Unambitious  Queen 104 

The  Wonderful  Tapestry 115 

The  Little  Brown  Hen 125 

EOSEBLOOM   AND   ThORNBLOOM 137 

The  Gradual  Fairy 152 

The  Green  Goblin 163 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

The  Queen  was  watching  the  new  dance  (p.  9) 

Frontispiece 

Pekizad  was  lying  on  a  mullein  leaf        ...  16 

"  We  're  so  big  ! "  the  violets  shouted  all  together  22 

"Look,  Perizad!" 30 

He  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  fairy  Drolla  .  62 

The  shame  and  horror  of  it  took   away   Glad- 
heart's  breath 74 

Prince  Venturesome  and  the  old  woman    .      .      .  102 

They   proceeded   to   make   their    report   to   the 
King 116 

The  court  fool  had  been  the  only  one  to  under- 
stand   124 

"  i  never  heard  such  talk  —  no,  not  since  i  was 
A  pullet" 130 

The  road  that  led  to  her  home 134 

She  blew  on  the  paste  for  a  moment  ....  154 


a  _     >  0  > 


>  :   >   ;^    > 


THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY 

THERE  was  once  a  fairy  who  sat  down  while  the 
others  were  dancing.  His  name  was  Tippitin,  and 
he  was  a  very  happy  fairy,  though  he  never  seemed 
to  know  any  of  the  things  the  other  fairies  knew. 
Some  fairies  know  how  to  paint  flowers,  and  they 
always  do  it  by  night  when  nobody  is  looking.  One 
has  a  tube  of  blue  paint,  and  he  squeezes  it  on  the 
larksx^urs,  and  another  has  a  tube  of  red  paint,  and  he 
splashes  it  over  the  roses.  The  cleverest  ones  of  all 
know  how  to  paint  spots  on  the  tiger-lilies  and  streaks 
on  the  sweet-williams;  and  the  very  clever  ones  in- 
deed can  touch  up  a  pansy's  face  so  that  you  would 
hardly  think  it  was  painted  at  all.  You  'd  say  it  just  grew 
so.  These  clever  ones  that  have  the  streaky-spotty 
work  to  do  often  use  little  brushes  made  out  of  the  fur 
of  a  cat's  tail.  One  hair  is  enough  for  a  fine  brush,  and 
two  at  the  most  for  a  very  heavy  one ;  but  the  cats  hate 
to  have  them  pulled  out.  The  fairies  are  very  cautious 
about  doing  it  when  no  one  knows :  so  they  always  take 
the  time  when  a  cat  is  crying  for  something  else.  If  a 
cat  gets  her  foot  stepped  on,  or  even  if  she  is  just  wait- 


i\llA>>^'::\  THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY 

ing  outside  the  door  to  be  let  in,  and  cries  to  mention 
it,  a  dozen  or  two  fairies  are  always  waiting  to  pounce 
on  her  and  pull  out  as  many  tail-hairs  as  they  can  be- 
fore the  meow  is  finished.  So  that,  although  you  can't 
see  them,  you  may  be  very  sure  every  cat  is  followed 
by  at  least  two  dozen  fairy  merchants,  waiting  to  pull 
hairs  from  her  tail  and  sell  them  to  the  fairy  painters. 
I  forgot  to  say  that  only  the  hairs  from  the  tails  of  red 
and  pink  cats  will  do  at  all:  so  it  would  be  of  no  use 
to  make  everyday  cats  cry,  to  help  the  fairies.  Only 
the  red  and  pink  ones  will  do.  But  Tij)pitin  did  not 
know  how  to  paint  flowers. 

Then  some  fairies  know  how  to  make  round,  clear 
drops  that  you  can  see  through.  They  make  them  out 
of  icicles.  But  Tippitin  did  not  know  that. 

Some  fairies  know  how  to  make  beautiful  bicycle 
wheels  out  of  nice  round  spiders'  webs  when  they  find 
them.  But  Tippitin  did  not  know  that. 

Some  fairies  can  sweep  up  the  kitchen  for  you,  if  they 
like  you,  or  make  the  butter  come  very  fast,  or  keep 
it  from  coming  at  all.  But  Tippitin  did  not  know  how 
to  do  that.  He  only  knew  how  to  dance;  and  one  night 
when  all  the  other  fairies  in  that  province  of  the  king- 
dom were  dancing,  he  did  not  dance  at  all.  He  just 
sat  down  on  a  pebble  and  drew  a  big  leaf  up  over  his 


THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY  3 

knees.  The  fairies  were  dancing  very  hard  that  night, 
because  they  were  practicing  for  a  big  Circle  Dance 
that  would  be  held  the  next  night,  which  was  the  night 
of  the  full  moon.  And  the  Queen  was  coming.  She 
had  been  in  Lapland  for  seven  nights,  —  which  is  a 
very  long  time  when  you  are  a  fairy,  —  and  she  was 
coming  back  to  tell  her  people  what  she  saw.  She 
really  went  up  there  to  see  if  the  patterns  of  snow- 
crystals  were  any  different  from  the  patterns  all  over 
the  rest  of  the  world,  and  if  they  were,  to  bring  some 
home.  The  fairies  were  wild  to  know  that.  Some 
fairies  can  freeze  snow-crystals.  But  Tippitin  could  n't 
do  that. 

]N'ow  when  they  were  dancing,  they  found  there 
was  a  gap  in  the  ring,  and  they  all  stopped  short.  They 
knew  at  once  how  it  was.    Some  fairy  was  not  there. 

"  Why,  it 's  Tippitin !  "  said  one ;  and  as  this  was 
the  night  when  they  all  said  things  together,  —  it  is 
the  night  before  the  night  of  the  full  moon, — they 
all  cried :  "  Why,  it 's  Tippitin !  " 

"Tippitin,  where  are  you?"  called  one;  and  then 
the  others  all  called:  "Tippitin,  where  are  you  ?" 

Tippitin  only  drew  up  the  leaf  a  little  higher  over 
his  knees. 

"  Oh,"  said  he  gruffly, "  I  'm  here.  Don't  you  see  me  ?'^ 


4  THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY 

"  He  's  here,"  said  all  the  fairies.  "  Don't  we  see 
him?  " 

They  crowded  up  about  him,  and  climbed  on  the 
leaves  over  his  head  and  looked  down  at  him;  but 
Ti23pitin  only  tucked  the  leaf  in  round  his  knees. 

"Why  don't  you  dance  with  us,  Tippitin?"  they 
asked  him. 

Tippitin  put  out  his  lips,  as  if  he  felt  very  big,  and 
drew  his  shoulders  up  to  his  ears,  as  if  he  needn't 
answer  at  all  if  he  did  n't  want  to. 

"  Oh,"  said  he,  "  I  'm  not  dancing  to-night." 

"Oh,"  said  the  fairies,  "he's  not  dancing  to- 
night ! " 

Then  they  looked  at  one  another  and  wondered 
what  they  could  say  next,  for  it  is  very  serious  for  a 
fairy  to  say  he  won't  dance.  It  is  exactly  as  if  a  boy 
or  a  girl  should  say,  "  I  won't  learn  two  times  two, 
or  '  Catch ' ! "  But  they  were  all  thinking  the  same 
thing,  and  in  a  minute  they  all  said  it. 

"  But,  Tippitin,  you  '11  have  to  dance.  For  this  is 
the  new  Circle  Dance,  and  if  you  don't  learn  it  to- 
night you  won't  know  it,  and  if  you  don't  know  it 
you  can't  dance  it  to-morrow  night  when  the  Queen 
is  here,  and  what  will  you  do  then,  Tippitin  ?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  Tippitin. 


THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY  5 

The  fairies  looked  at  one  another,  and  their  eyes 
grew  very  large,  and  their  mouths  grew  round. 

"  Nothing !  "  they  all  said.  "  Tippitin  will  do  no- 
thing. That  is  what  Tippitin  will  do  —  nothing  ! " 

Tippitin  twisted  up  his  face  and  squirmed  about 
on  the  pebble. 

"  You  go  away,"  said  he,  '^  and  let  me  alone.  I  shan't 
dance  to-night,  and  I  shan't  dance  to-morrow  night." 

"  But  what  will  the  Queen  say  ?  "  they  all  cried. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Tippitin. 

Then  they  all  looked  at  one  another  and  said:  "  He 
does  n't  know."  And  they  were  silent  for  a  very  long 
time. 

But  after  the  very  long  time  was  over,  they  sud- 
denly thought  they  must  go  and  look  at  the  Queen's 
throne  and  see  if  it  was  all  right  and  tight  for  her  to 
use.  Now  a  great  many  things  will  do  for  a  queen's 
throne,  —  a  tuft  of  moss  or  an  opening  rose  or  a  clover 
head  —  oh,  there  are  a  great  many  things !  But  in 
this  particular  province  there  was  one  tiny  piece  of 
bark  the  Queen  had  taken  a  great  liking  to,  for  a 
throne.  The  little  borers-in-the-wood  had  carved  it 
beautifully  for  her,  so  that  it  was  of  a  wonderful  pat- 
tern; and  it  had  fallen  from  the  tree  in  exactly  the 
right  position,  so  that  it  was  tilted  up  a  little  for  a 


6  THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY 

back,  and  tilted  sidewise  a  little  for  the  arms.  The 
Queen  had  said  she  never  saw  anywhere  such  a  com- 
fortable throne,  and  she  believed  she  should  find  it  so 
if  she  lived  to  be  ten  million  and  ten.  And  then  the  fai- 
ries all  laughed  until  the  owls  brought  their  two  yellow 
lanterns  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  for  everybody 
knows  fairies  never  live  to  be  ten  million  and  ten.  They 
only  live  Forever.  That  was  a  great  joke  of  the  Queen's, 
and  it  was  repeated  everywhere  all  over  the  kingdom, 
and  is  being  repeated  now,  —  or  it  will  be  to-night, 
if  the  moon  is  full. 

Now  somebody  had  discovered,  not  long  before 
this  night  when  they  were  making  ready  for  the  Queen, 
that  her  throne  seemed  a  httle  unsteady.  A  rabbit 
running  through  the  wood  may  have  joggled  it,  or 
some  mortal,  walking  that  way,  may  have  hit  it  with 
his  foot,  not  knowing  how  important  it  was  to  let  it 
alone.  And  really  it  is  surprising  that  mortals  know 
so  very  little  about  what  is  against  the  law  in  the 
woods.  There  are  ever  so  many  things  you  can  do  if 
you  stop  and  take  off  your  cap  and  say,  "  By  your 
leave,"  or  even  make  a  bow.  But  there  is  one  thing 
that  must  never  be  done.  Things  that  are  good  wood- 
citizens,  like  lady's-slipper,  or  fern,  or  anything  that 
blooms  red,  pink,  blue,  white,  or  yellow,  must  never 


THE  OXE-FOOTED  FAIRY  7 

be  pulled  up  by  the  roots.  Sometimes  you  may  take 
them  up  very  carefully  and  carry  them  to  live  some- 
where else ;  but  you  must  be  perfectly  sure  you  know 
beforehand  that  you  are  going  to  put  them  in  the  same 
kind  of  place  they  are  used  to  living  in,  and  that  they 
are  going  to  get  water  enough  to  drink.  There  are 
very  dreadful  punishments  for  people  who  jduU  up 
things  that  bloom  red,  or  pink,  or  blue,  or  white,  or 
yellow,  and  throw  them  down  and  leave  them  to  die. 
I  will  not  tell  you  what  the  punishment  is.  If  you 
want  to  find  out,  you  can  look  m  the  Fairy  Code. 

But  to-night,  when  the  fairies  went  to  look  at  the 
Queen's  throne,  they  found  it  was  as  firm  and  solid 
as  a  throne  could  be.  They  pushed  at  it,  and  pulled 
at  it,  —  of  course  they  dared  not  sit  in  it, —  and  they 
all  breathed  a  great  breath  and  said,  "  Well,  that 's 
all  right,"  and  they  trooped  away  and  began  dancing 
again.  But  Tippitin  still  sat  with  the  leaf  over  his 
knees,  and  he  would  not  dance. 

The  next  night,  at  exactly  twelve  o'clock,  the  owls 
began  to  call,  "  Who  ?  Who  ? "  and  the  fairies  all 
answered,  '^Her  Majesty!  her  most  lovely-dear-and- 
glorious-splendid  Majesty,  the  Queen !  " 

And  then  all  the  woods  waked  up,  and  even  the 
little  grasshopper  and  cricket  things  in  fields  beyond 


8  THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY 

the  woods,  got  out  their  musical  instruments  and  piped 
and  jDiped,  and  the  farmhouse  dog  called  out,  "  Some- 
thing 's  up  !  Hark!  Hark! "  But  as  he  said  it  he  went 
into  his  kennel,  just  as  far  as  he  could,  and  sat  there 
with  his  tail  tucked  under  him ;  for  every  dog  knows 
what  is  going  on  in  the  woods  at  night  and  that  he  'd 
better  say  as  little  about  it  as  possible. 

The  Queen  had  come  straight  through  from  Lap- 
land by  the  Crystal  Express,  and  her  chariot  had  not 
yet  melted.  It  was  the  most  beautiful  carved  ice  you 
ever  saw,  and  the  canopy  over  it  was  the  loveliest 
spun  frost.  It  was  drawn  by  six  Northern  Lights ;  but 
they  had  to  be  unharnessed  at  once,  so  that  they  could 
go  back,  because  they  were  needed  to  make  an  il- 
lumination for  a  Labor  Night  parade  of  the  Frosts 
and  Snows.  The  Queen  had  hired  them  on  that  con- 
dition. So  when  they  unharnessed  themselves  and 
flashed  off,  she  nodded  at  them  very  kindly,  and  then 
she  turned  to  her  own  people  and  told  them  to  stand 
where  they  were  and  see  her  chariot  melt.  It  was  a 
little  surprise  she  had  arranged  for  them,  because  it 
is  very  unusual  to  see  an  ice-chariot  in  the  woods 
on  a  warm  summer  night.  This  night  was  very  warm 
indeed,  and  the  chariot  melted  fast;  but  quickly  as 
it  went,  a  great  many  fairy  artists  stood  by  to  draw 


THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY  9 

the  forms  of  the  snow-crystals,  to  see  if  they  could 
copy  them  next  winter,  and  they  really  got  a  great 
many  ideas. 

And  when  the  chariot  and  the  canopy  were  quite 
gone,  and  there  was  only  a  tiny  puddle  of  water  left 
where  they  had  been,  the  Queen  turned  to  her  sub- 
jects and  said:  "  N'ow,  to  the  dance  ! " 

So  they  joined  hands  and  made  a  circle  about  the 
Queen,  and  danced  their  new  dance.  And  Tippitin 
sat  in  a  dark  little  corner  under  a  leaf,  and  did  not 
dance  at  all.  He  had  taken  a  thick  shadow  and  wrapped 
it  about  him,  and  if  you  had  been  there,  even  if  you 
could  have  seen  the  others,  you  could  not  have  seen 
him.  Of  course  the  Queen  could  have  seen  him,  if 
she  had  looked,  because  fairy  eyes  are  the  best  in  the 
woods,  and  the  Queen's  eyes  are  the  very  best;  but 
she  was  watching  the  new  dance  to  decide  how  she 
liked  it,  and  though  there  was  still  the  gap  in  the 
circle  where  Tippitin  ought  to  have  been,  the  fairies 
made  other  gaps,  from  time  to  time,  so  that  she 
should  think  they  were  a  part  of  the  dance.  For 
they  all  loved  Tippitin,  and  they  were  afraid  she 
would  blame  him.  TThen  the  dance  was  over  and 
the  Queen  had  said  it  was  very  nice  indeed,  though 
not  the  nicest  ever,  they  looked  at  one  another  and 


10  THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY 

shut  their  mouths  tight  because  they  did  not  dare  to 
speak. 

"It's  a  nice  dance/'  said  the  Queen  again. 

"It's  a  welcoming  dance,  your  most  lovely-dear- and- 
glorious-splendid  Majesty ,"  said  all  the  fairies  together, 
trembling.  (They  were  not  afraid  for  themselves,  be- 
cause the  Queen  is  kinder  than  you  could  ever  think, 
and  no  fairy  fears  her  without  reason,  and  just  because 
she  is  a  queen.  But  they  were  afraid  for  Tippitin.) 
"  That  is  what  it  is  called  — the  "Welcoming  Dance." 

The  Queen  put  her  hand  to  her  chin  and  meditated. 
She  had  caught  that  trick  from  the  Ice-King  in  the 
North,  who  had  a  beard. 

"  It 's  a  nice  dance,"  she  said,  "  but  I  miss  something 
in  it.  I  don't  know  quite  what  it  is,  but  it's  something 
very  fast  and  sure,  and  always  coming  down  in  the  right 
place.  Just  take  me  to  my  throne.  I  shall  be  able  to 
think  better  there." 

So  the  fairies  formed  themselves  into  a  guard  in 
front  and  a  following  behind,  and  they  took  her  to  her 
throne.  They  were  very  silent  all  the  way,  because 
they  knew  they  were  leaving  Tippitin  sitting  wrapped 
in  his  thick  shadow  behind,  and  of  course  they  knew, 
too,  just  what  the  Queen  missed  in  the  dance.  It  was 
Tippitin. 


THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY  11 

But  when  the  Queen  had  seated  herself  on  her 
throne,  they  began  to  smile  again,  for  she  leaned  back 
against  the  carven  wood  and  sighed  a  peaceful,  happy 
sigh,  and  said :  "  ISTow  I  am  at  home  again.  This  old 
throne  is  worth  a  million  crystal  palaces."  (You  see  if 
you  are  a  queen  you  always  think  in  millions.  One 
palace  is  altogether  too  few  to  talk  about.)  "  ISTow," 
said  the  Queen,  "  we  '11  have  the  dance  again." 

So  the  fairies  formed  themselves  before  her  into  the 
circle  with  the  gap  in  it,  and  they  danced  and  they 
danced,  and  all  the  more  gayly  because  they  didn't 
want  her  to  find  out  anything  was  the  matter. 

But  presently  the  Queen  cried  out:  "  Stop!  Stop!  " 

And  they  had  to  stop,  and  the  circle  with  the  gap 
in  it  was  broken,  and  there  were  more  than  forty 
gaps. 

"I  should  like  to  be  told,"  said  the  Queen,  rather 
grandly,  "what  is  the  matter  with  this  throne !" 

The  fairies  all  trembled. 

"  Your  Majesty,"  they  said,  "your most  lovely-dear- 
and-glorious-splendid  Majesty,"  said  they,  "it  is  your 
own  favorite  throne." 

"  So  I  thought,"  said  the  Queen.  "  But  there 's  some- 
thing under  it." 

"  Something  under  it ! "  cried  all  the  fairies.  "  What 


12  THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY 

is  it  that  is  under  it,  your  most  lovely-dear-and-glori- 
ous-splendid  Majesty  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  I  should  Hke  to  be  told,"  said  the 
Queen.  "It's  something  that  wants  to  dance:  for  when 
you  were  dancing,  it  kept  knocking  under  my  throne, 
and  when  you  stopped,  it  stopped,  too.  Lift  up  the 
throne  and  see." 

So  the  fairies  crowded  round  the  throne  and  tugged 
at  it  with  all  their  might;  but  they  could  not  lift  it. 
Of  course  it  would  do  no  good  to  try  to  overturn  it, 
because  a  fairy  throne  is  the  one  thing  you  can  never 
overturn. 

"Well,"  said  the  Queen,  putting  her  hand  to  her 
chin,  "  try  the  dance  again,  and  we  '11  see  ! " 

So  they  formed  their  circle  with  the  gap  in  it,  and 
this  time  the  Queen  began  to  sing :  — 

"  Around  and  about ! 
What  is  hidden,  come  out ! 
What  is  veiled  must  be  seen ! 
'T  is  the  will  of  the  Queen ! " 

And  the  throne  began  to  tremble,  and  it  settled  a 
little  to  one  side,  for  there  danced  out  of  it  the  tiniest 
foot  you  ever  saw,  and  danced  into  the  gap  in  the 
circle,  and  danced  and  danced. 


THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY  13 

"  Aha !  "  cried  the  Queen.  "  ISTow  the  dance  is  ahnost 
the  nicest  dance  that  ever  was,  but  not  quite. 

"  Slow  little  foot,  slow  !  slow ! 
Go  little  foot,  go  !  go ! 
Follow,  fairies,  follow  me, 
And  we  '11  see,  we  '11  see,  we  '11  see." 

And  the  fairies  stopped  dancing,  and  the  Httle  foot 
stoj^ped  too,  and  it  began  to  hop  through  the  woods 
so  fast  it  was  like  the  drop-drop-drop  of  water  off  a 
leaf  after  a  shower,  and  the  Queen  and  the  fairies  fol- 
lowed it.  And  what  did  the  foot  do  but  hop  straight 
up  to  Tippitin,  sitting  wrapped  in  his  shadow;  and 
when  Tippitin  saw  it,  he  cried  out  very  loud,  and  threw 
off  the  shadow,  and  the  Queen  and  all  the  fairies  saw 
he  had  but  one  foot.  And  the  little  foot  hopped  up  to 
TipjDitin's  ankle,  and  Tippitin  bent  down  and  screwed 
it  on,  and  there  he  stood  on  his  two  trim  feet,  and  made 
the  Queen  a  beautiful  low  bow. 

"  Why,  Tippitin !  "  said  the  Queen.  "  Why,  Tippi- 
tin, what  made  you  take  your  foot  off  ?  " 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  Tippitin,  "  I  went  to  look  at 
your  Majesty's  throne  one  day  to  see  if  it  was  all  right 
and  tight,  and  I  found  there  was  a  little  hollow  under 
it,  and  it  made  your  Majesty's  throne  jiggle.  And  I 


14  THE  ONE-FOOTED  FAIRY 

could  n't  find  anything  that  exactly  fitted,  to  fill  up  the 
hollow,  and  my  foot  fitted,  so  I  just  rammed  it  in  there, 
—  that's  all." 

The  Queen  and  the  fairies  looked  at  him  for  as 
much  as  seven  minutes,  and  they  were  all  deej)ly 
affected.  Then  the  Queen  spoke. 

"  Henceforth,"  said  she,  "  I  appoint  Tippitin  to  be 
the  very-much-to-be-honored  keeper  of  my  wood-bark 
throne.  And  if  he  finds  cause  to  think  it  needs  repair, 
he  may  call  upon  all  the  clever  workmen  of  my  king- 
dom to  set  it  right  again.  But  his  own  feet  are  needed 
for  my  service  in  the  dancing  that  keeps  my  king- 
dom standing  while  mortal  thrones  go  down.  Now, 
fairies,  to  the  dance !  " 

And  the  fairies  formed  a  circle  with  no  gap  in  it, 
because  Tippitin  was  there,  and  they  danced  the  dance 
as  it  was  first  intended  to  be,  with  no  gaps  in  it,  and 
when  it  was  over,  the  Queen  clapped  her  hands  and 
said:  "Now  I  see  what  I  missed  out  of  the  dance.  It 
was  Tippitin !  And  now  it  is  the  most  perfectly  lovely 
dance  that  ever  was ! " 


1  J 

,   ,  V     ,    J     3     ,    ,    »     ^ 


:^L  '"     po^  '. 


^ 


.^£>%    UiS^V  r!*«'ii^'^  :        i    I 


c.=S^ 


PRINCE  VENTURESOME   AND   THE   OLD   WOMAN 


■«»,. 


PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  fairy  that  wanted 
everythmg  there  was,  twice  over.  His  name 
was  Perizad,  and  he  had  a  sister  whose  name  was 
Perizada,  and  she  loved  him  very  much. 

It  was  curious  about  Perizad  and  the  way  he 
wanted  things.  If  any  one  gave  him  a  drop  of  honey, 
he  would  say  before  he  drank  it:  "Where  is  the 
rest?" 

If  he  were  dancing  with  the  other  fairies  in  the 
fairy  ring,  he  would  call,  while  his  feet  were  flying: 
"  Let  us  dance  some  more !  " 

And  every  night  when  the  moonlight  was  bright 
and  wonderful,  he  would  say:  "I  wish  there  were 
two  moons.    Then  it  would  be  light." 

As  for  Perizada,  she  was  always  trying  to  take 
things  away  from  herself  and  give  them  to  Perizad, 
and  if  she  had  owned  a  moon  he  would  have  had  it 
at  once.  Only  it  would  have  done  no  good,  for  when 
it  was  up  in  the  sky  he  would  have  looked  at  it 
longingly  and  said :  "  I  wish  there  were  four  moons 
instead  of  two." 


16  PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA 

This  went  on  until  the  Fairy  Wish-Taker  came 
round  on  his  yearly  visit,  and  he  not  only  looked  into 
the  fairies'  fern-houses  to  see  that  they  were  in  order, 
but  he  looked  behind  their  thoughts.  When  he  looked 
behind  Perizada's  thoughts,  he  only  smiled  and  nod- 
ded pleasantly  at  her,  so  that  she  felt  quite  happy; 
but  when  he  came  to  Perizad,  he  wrinkled  his  brow 
and  said:  "Dear me!  dear  me!" 

Now  Perizad  was  lying  on  a  mullein  leaf,  at  the 
moment,  thinking  about  things  he  would  like.  But 
when  the  Wish-Taker  said,  "  Dear  me  !  dear  me ! " 
he  came  to  his  feet  and  stood  there  on  the  leaf,  look- 
ing very  brave  and  handsome.  For  Perizad  was  one 
of  the  loveliest  fairies  ever  made,  dressed  all  in  green 
and  white  from  top  to  toe.  The  green  was  like  new 
spring  leaves,  and  the  white  was  like  frost. 

"  Why  do  you  say, '  dear  me '  ? ''  he  asked  of  the 
Wish-Taker. 

"  I  saw  something,"  said  the  Wish-Taker. 

"  Behind  my  thoughts  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Behind  your  thoughts." 

Then  Perizad  laughed. 

"  Give  you  three  guesses,"  he  said. 

"Oh,  no,"  said  the  Wish-Taker,  so  coolly  that 
Perizad  looked  round  to  see  if  the  wind  had  changed. 


PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA  17 

"  You  need  n't  give  me  any.  I  could  take  them  if  I 
wanted  them.  But  I  don't  use  guesses.  I  know. 
You  were  wishing  that  you  could  Hve  two  days  in 
one." 

"  Only  through  the  summer,"  said  Perizad.  He 
spoke  confusedly,  because  Perizada  was  looking  at 
him,  and  he  saw  she  was  troubled  or  sorry. 

The  "Wish-Taker  nodded.  "  Yes,"  said  he,  "  only 
through  the  summer." 

Then,  although  no  one  had  asked  him  any  ques- 
tions, Perizad  began  talking  and  frowning  all  at 
once.  He  looked  down  at  his  handsome  green  feet, 
and  spoke  fretfully,  as  if  some  one  had  blamed  him. 

"  Summer  days  are  very  nice ;  but  they  're  not 
quite  nice  enough.  If  I  could  join  two  together,  per- 
haps they  'd  be  nice  enough.  Perizada,  I  don't  see 
what  you  're  looking  like  that  for.  I  'm  not  saying 
anything  wrong,  am  I?  He  could  see  it  anyway  when 
he  looks  behind  my  thoughts." 

Now  it  is  against  the  law  to  be  sad  in  Fairyland, 
but  in  spite  of  that  Perizada  gazed  down  at  her 
little  green  feet  and  drew  a  long  breath.  She  would 
have  cried  perhaps,  except  that  fairies  have  not 
learned  how.  But  it  was  plain  to  her  that  Perizad 
was  getting  into  trouble. 


18  PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA 

^^  You  really  want  to  live  two  days  in  one?"  asked 
the  Wish-Taker,  looking  sharply  at  Perizad. 

"Yes,"  said  Perizad  stoutly.    "I  wish  it." 

"Perhaps  you  don't  understand  that  you  '11  use  up 
all  the  other  days  in  the  year  ?  You  may  not  have  any 
winter." 

Perizad  turned  a  somersault  and  stood  on  his  head 
on  the  mullein  leaf.  "  I  don't  want  any  winter,"  said 
he. 

"  We  may  have  to  take  a  few  days  out  of  the  spring 
and  autumn." 

"  I  can  spare  'em."  Perizad  reversed  himself  and 
stood  up,  very  shiny  and  handsome,  on  the  mullein 
leaf. 

"  It 's  an  expensive  business,"  said  the  Wish-Taker. 

"  I  can  afford  it,"  said  Perizad. 

Then  the  Wish-Taker  changed  his  manner  at  once. 
"  Yery  well,"  said  he,  as  short  and  sharp  as  you  please. 
"  I  think  we  can  arrange  it.  This  year  we  '11  pack  up 
the  days  just  as  hard  and  tight  as  we  can,  and  you 
shall  have  two  in  one.  You  don't  want  winter.  You 
need  n't  have  it.  You  don't  want  autumn.  You  need 
n't  have  it.  We'll  make  up  as  many  summer  days 
as  we  can  manage,  and  you  shall  have  them  all  at 


once." 


PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA  19 

Now  Perizad  was  so  happy  that  standing  on  his 
head  was  not  enough.  He  went  over  and  over  on  the 
mullein  leaf  until  he  was  nothing  but  a  little  green 
wheel.   But  Perizada  sat  still,  looking  very  sad. 

Perizad  came  upright  as  a  thought  struck  him. 
"  But  none  of  the  rest  will  like  it,"  he  said. 

"  The  rest  of  whom  ?  "  asked  the  Wish-Taker. 

"Us  —  the  fairies." 

"  No,  they  won't  like  it.  So  they  won't  have  it.  I 
shall  put  you  in  a  Large  Place,  where  there  will  be 
two  days  in  one." 

Perizad  looked  doubtful.   ''  Alone  ?"  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  all  alone." 

"  Perizada  and  I  ?" 

"  No.  Perizada  does  n't  want  it,  either." 

"  If  you  please,  I  should  like  it  beyond  everything," 
said  Perizada,  in  a  very  small  and  very  sad  voice,  "if 
Perizad  is  there." 

"No,  you  would  n't,"  said  the  Wish-Taker  briskly. 
"  I  can  see  what 's  behind  your  thoughts."  Then  he 
turned  to  Perizad.  "  Come,"  he  said,  in  a  voice  they 
had  never  heard  from  him  before.  "  Make  up  your 
mind.   Take  it  or  leave  it." 

Perizad  looked  at  Perizada,  where  she  sat  droop- 
ingly  on  the  leaf,  and  quite  decided  to  say,  "  No."  But 


20  PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA 

at  that  moment  a  sun-ray  struck  him,  and  he  thought 
how  warm  it  was,  and  yet  not  warm  enough,  and  in  a 
very  loud  voice  he  cried,  "  Yes ! " 

Then  suddenly  he  found  himself  alone.  The  "Wish- 
Taker  was  gone  and  Perizada  was  gone,  and  Perizad 
was  simply  by  himself  in  a  Large  Place.  At  once  it 
seemed  to  Perizad  that  it  was  the  most  beautiful  place 
he  had  ever  seen.  It  was  an  Enchanted  Wood.  He 
had  seen  a  great  many  enchanted  woods,  and  so  was 
able  to  recognize  them  at  once ;  but  this  had  darker 
shadows  and  brighter  lights  and  greener  moss  and 
redder  moss-cups.  Through  an  opening  between  the 
oaks  he  saw  a  glade,  and  on  a  bank  rising  beyond  the 
glade  was  a  garden  of  flowers.  Perizad  wished  him- 
self there  at  once;  and  presently  he  was  standing  in 
the  sunlight,  looking  up  at  violets  two  feet  high.  At 
first  each  flower  seemed  to  him  to  have  a  drop  of  dew 
in  its  heart,  and  he  thought  it  lovely.  But  one  of  the 
violets,  the  one  that  had  sharper  ears  than  the  others, 
answered  him  as  soon  as  he  had  thought. 

"No,  it  isn't  a  drop  of  dew;  it's  a  tear."  She  spoke 
very  angrily,  as  if  he  ought  to  have  known. 

"Dear  me,"  said  Perizad.  "Is  that  so?  What  are 
you  crying  about?" 

"  We  are  crying  because  we  don't  know  what  has 


PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA  21 

happened  to  us,"  said  the  Yiolet;  and  all  the  other 
violets  nodded  and  cried  another  tear. 

"  Why,  what  do  you  think  has  happened  ? "  asked 
Perizad. 

u  ^Q  Ye  so  big !  "  they  shouted  all  together.  "  We 
keep  growing  and  growing  and  we  can't  help  it.  Look 
at  our  stems !  They  might  as  well  be  onion  stalks." 

Perizad  did  look  at  their  stems,  but  he  thought  they 
were  very  nice.  He  never  could  have  too  much  of 
anything.  The  sun  w^as  so  hot  that  it  almost  burned 
him,  and  the  sky  was  so  blue  he  thought  he  could  dip 
his  finger  in  it  and  splash  the  violets  with  it.  But  now 
they  kej^t  shouting,  one  at  a  time,  and  with  every 
shout  they  cried  a  tear. 

"We  don't  know  what  has  happened  to  us.  This  is 
a  Large  Place,  but  it  used  to  be  just  like  other  places." 

"Everything  keeps  on  growing,  and  nothing  can 
help  it!" 

"Look  at  that  dog-tooth  violet!  It  isn't  a  dog- 
tooth !  It 's  a  walrus  tooth  !  " 

"  Look  at  that  wind-flower !  It  is  n't  a  wind-flower ! 
It 's  a  hurricane  flower ! " 

But  Perizad  was  simply  enchanted  with  what  had 
happened.  The  spring  blooms  had  evidently  been 
ordered  to  stay  and  be  summer  blooms,  and  as  he 


22  PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA 

stood  there  thinking  about  it,  the  real  summer  flow- 
ers began  opening  at  his  side,  and  they  were  larger 
and  brighter  than  any  he  had  ever  seen,  and  their 
fragrance  was  so  strong  that  he  could  dance  on  it, 
just  as  he  could  on  a  mullein  leaf.  So  all  that  day 
he  danced  on  the  fragrance  and  sipped  the  honey. 
But  the  honey  was  so  strong  that  it  went  to  his 
head,  and  all  night  he  lay  asleep  in  a  pool  of  moon- 
light, and  did  not  even  know  what  bright  moonlight 
it  was,  although  none  before  had  ever  been  bright 
enough. 

So  for  days  and  days  it  kept  on  being  summer, 
and  two  days  in  one.  The  time  went  very  quickly 
because  the  two  days  had  not  been  put  end  to  end, 
to  make  one,  but  laid  together,  one  flat  on  the  other, 
and  fastened  tight.  For  a  long  time  Perizad  had  a 
great  deal  to  do,  exploring  the  Large  Place,  and  he 
was  not  lonely  at  all.  Sometimes,  when  he  found  a 
bigger  flower  than  usual,  he  did  wish  Perizada  could 
see  it,  and  once  when  he  came  on  a  great  fairy  ring 
and  danced  in  it  all  night  long,  he  began  to  have  a 
queer  little  feeling  inside  him,  because  he  was  dancing 
alone;  but  afterwards  he  sat  down  in  the  moonhght 
to  rest  and  think  it  over,  and  he  remembered  that 
he  could  tell  Perizada  all  about  it  sometime  —  and 


Pi 
w 

X 
H 

o 

H 

< 

Q 
H 
O 

w 

CO 

1-1 
O 


O 


PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA  23 

then  he  got  up  quite  happily  and  began  dancing 
again. 

So  it  went  on  and  on  and  it  was  always  summer, 
and  the  sun  was  always  hot  and  the  flowers  were 
always  brilliant.  And  Perizad  went  about  looking 
and  tasting  by  day  and  dancing  by  night,  and  he 
looked  and  tasted  and  danced  so  much  that  his  eyes 
and  his  nose  and  his  legs  all  felt  very  queer.  But  still  he 
thought  he  liked  the  way  he  felt,  because  that  was  what 
he  had  wanted,  and  he  had  got  it.  But  one  morning 
he  closed  his  eyes  for  just  a  minute  because  the  sun 
seemed  to  him  so  bright,  and  when  he  opened  them 
everything  had  changed.  The  flowers  were  still  stand- 
ing there,  but  they  were  different.  Perizad  looked  at 
them  for  a  moment  until  he  stopped  being  puzzled  and 
was  almost  afraid.  Now  very  few  fairies  know  how  to 
be  afraid,  and  when  Perizad  found  he  had  learned 
the  way,  he  did  not  like  it  at  all.  He  hurried  over  to 
the  violets  where  they  stood  straight  and  tall  on  their 
big  green  stems. 

"  "What  's  the  matter  ?  "  cried  Perizad.  "  What 's 
the  matter?" 

"  We  don't  know,"  said  the  Yiolet  that  was  always 
talking.  "  Something  dreadful  is  the  matter,  but  we 
don't  know  what  it  is." 


24  PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA 

"Are  you  frightened?"  asked  Perizad,  and  his 
teeth  chattered. 

"  We  think  it 's  because  the  summer  is  over,"  said 
the  Yiolet.  "  We  are  almost  sure  it  is  over,  outside 
this  Large  Place,  and  if  it  is,  we  ought  to  be  with- 
ered." 

"  Then  why  don't  you  wither  ?  "  cried  Perizad.  He 
felt  as  if  somebody  might  do  something  and  all  would 
be  well. 

"  We  don't  know  how,"  wailed  the  Yiolet.  "  Sum- 
mer is  over,  and  autumn  has  n't  come ;  and  we  don't 
know  how." 

Suddenly  Perizad  thought  of  the  Wind,  because 
the  Wind  is  such  a  traveler  that  he  has  learned  a 
great  many  things,  and  can  answer  all  sorts  of  ques- 
tions. He  straightened  himself  up  and  asked: 
"Where  is  the  Wind?" 

"  The  Wind  has  died,"  moaned  the  Violet.  "  He 
dies  down  in  the  summer.  Then  he  comes  to  life  and 
rises  in  the  autumn ;  but  if  there  is  n't  any  autumn, 
what  can  he  do?  He  has  died  down,  and  there  he 
stays." 

Perizad  thought  for  a  moment. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  we  must  simply  get  the  better  of 
this  thing.  We  must  n't  let  it  get  the  better  of  us." 


PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA  25 

Then  he  saw  a  Squirrel  sitting  on  a  branch,  and 
the  Squirrel's  tail  was  drooping  and  his  head  hung 
heavily.  It  seemed  to  Perizad  as  if  the  Squirrel  felt 
as  he  did  and  as  the  violets  did,  and  that  he  wished 
he  might  die  down  like  the  Wind. 

'^  Holloa ! "  said  the  Squirrel.  He  looked  down  at 
Perizad  and  blinked  a  sleepy  eye.  "  Seen  anything  of 
Autumn  round  here  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Perizad. 

"  I  'm  tired  of  waiting,"  said  the  Squirrel.  "  No- 
thing ripens.  The  fruit 's  a  sight.  The  nuts  are 
green." 

Perizad  had  a  choking  in  his  throat.  He  felt  a 
little  homesick,  though  he  did  not  know  what  the 
sensation  was.  But  he  climbed  a  twig  skillfully  and 
slapped  the  Squirrel  on  the  back.  He  spoke  gruffly 
into  the  gray  ear.  "  It 's  summer  time,"  said  he. 
^^  Did  n't  you  know  that?  What  do  you  want  better 
than  summer  ?  " 

But  the  Squirrel  only  turned  on  him  a  dull  glance. 

"I  like  brown  leaves,"  said  he. 

Perizad  looked  down  at  the  trembling  green  forest 
and  through  the  flowery  glade,  and  there  was  some- 
thing queer  at  the  bottom  of  his  heart.  He  had  heard 
about  heart-aches. 


26  PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA 

"Is  this  an  ache?"  said  he. 

But  the  Squirrel  did  not  hear.  He  had  dozed  off 
again,  and  he  was  murmuring  something  about  nuts 
and  hollow  trees  and  snow. 

The  next  day  it  was  just  the  same.  The  flowers 
kept  on  standing  straight  and  tall;  but  when  Perizad 
spoke  to  them  they  answered  him  quite  feverishly. 
And  the  worst  of  it  w^as,  they  seemed  to  know  that 
all  their  misfortunes  were  due  to  him,  and  they  talked 
quite  shockingly  about  it.  Perizad  heard  them  some- 
times when  he  was  wandering  about  in  his  green  and 
white  that  was  always  shiny,  like  a  new  leaf,  and  he 
got  in  the  habit  of  slipping  softly  from  twig  to  twig, 
so  as  not  to  be  seen. 

"Bah ! "  said  the  Tiger  Lily,  when  he  was  stopping 
for  a  moment  under  her  petals.  "  You  're  a  pretty  fel- 
low.   Don't  come  near  me.   I  'm  crouched  to  spring." 

'Now  Perizad  felt  again  that  little  ache  inside  him, 
and  when  he  put  his  hands  to  his  eyes,  to  cover  them, 
he  found  something  wet  traveling  down  his  cheek. 
The  Tiger  Lily  went  on  scolding. 

"A  pretty  joke  to  play  on  us!  I  know  all  about  it. 
A  Summer  Wind  crept  in  one  day  and  he  told  me  the 
pickle  you  'd  got  us  in.  Summer,  indeed,  and  two  days 
in  one !  It 's  all  very  well  for  you,  lounging  round  here 


PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA  27 

with  your  hands  in  your  pockets,  staring  at  us.  How 
would  you  hke  to  work  double  time,  and  grow  twice 
your  size,  and  yawn  your  head  off,  and  be  told  it  was 
going  to  be  summer  forever  and  no  time  to  sleep  ?  " 

"  Forever  ?  "  sobbed  Perizad.  "  Is  this  going  on  for- 
ever ?  " 

^^Not  quite  forever,  maybe,"  said  the  Tiger  Lily> 
^'  but  as  long  as  the  days  last.  The  Summer  Wind  said 
you  'd  taken  the  winter  and  the  autumn  and  somehow 
stirred  them  into  the  summer.  We  have  n't  got  to  the 
end  of  them  yet.  But  I  '11  tell  you  one  thing."  The 
Tiger  Lily  shook  with  anger  on  her  stem. 

"What  will  you  tell  me?"  asked  Perizad  mourn- 
Mly. 

"  If  you  're  going  to  use  two  days  in  one,  what 
you  've  got  won't  last  you  round  to  sjDring  again. 
There  '11  be  a  time  when  it  won't  be  summer  and  it 
won't  be  winter,  because  you  've  used  them  up.  And 
you  '11  be  Nowhere,  That 's  where  you  will  be  —  jSTo- 
where." 

"Well,"  said  Perizad,  "maybe  that's  the  best  place 
for  me.   As  I  've  made  my  coat,  so  I  must  w^ear  it." 

"Did  anybody  say  anything  about  a  coat?"  asked 
a  Eabbit.  He  was  hurrying  by,  but  he  stopped  and 
saluted,  with  a  paw  to  his  forehead.   "Beg  pardon, 


28  PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA 

sir,  but  if  there 's  any  news  about  coats,  I  should  be 
glad  to  hear  it.  I  never  wear  the  same  coat  summer 
and  winter,  and  never  the  same  color  even.  If  there 's 
any  chance  of  the  winter  fashions  coming  in  —  " 

But  Perizad  had  put  his  hands  to  his  ears,  and  hur- 
ried off.  He  ran  for  a  long  time,  and  when  he  stopped 
to  breathe,  the  sun  had  set  and  the  moonlight  made 
it  bright  as  day.  And  when  he  took  his  hands  away 
from  his  ears,  he  could  hear  a  hoarse  murmur  of  voices 
behind  him,  and  the  patter  of  little  feet.  All  the  ani- 
mals were  on  his  track,  hunting  him  out  of  the  Large 
Place,  and  all  the  flowers  were  cheering  the  animals 
on  and  urging  them  to  run.  Then  Perizad  began  to 
run  again,  and  he  ran  and  he  ran  until  he  came  up 
against  something  he  could  not  pass.  He  did  not  see 
it,  but  he  knew  at  once  that  it  was  the  fence  set  by  the 
Wish-Taker  about  the  Large  Place,  and  that  he  could 
never  cross  it.  The  angry  voices  and  the  pursuing 
steps  were  still  behind  him,  and  he  felt  as  if  he  had 
not  one  friend  in  the  whole  world. 

Then  he  cried  out  loudly,  not  knowing  what  he 
should  say,  "  Perizada !  Perizada !  "  and  a  voice  an- 
swered at  once,  "  Perizad !  Perizad ! " 

Perizad's  heart  beat  so  loud  that  he  thought  it 
would  choke  him. 


PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA  29 

"Where  are  you?"  he  cried.  "Where  are  you, 
Perizada?" 

"  On  the  other  side  of  the  fence,"  answered  Peri- 
zada. "  Take  courage,  Perizad,  for  it  lacks  only  one 
minute  of  the  end  of  all  the  days  you  asked  for.  And 
when  the  minute  is  over,  the  fence  will  be  down,  and 
the  Large  Place  will  be  like  other  places." 

"  But  I  —  Perizada,"  cried  Perizad,  "  what  will  be- 
come of  me  ?  I  have  used  up  my  days,  and  I  shall  be 
Nowhere." 

Then  Perizada  laughed  quite  merrily  on  the  other 
side  of  the  fence. 

"  Oh,  no,  Perizad,"  she  said,  "  for  I  have  taken  care 
of  that.  I  asked  the  Wish-Taker  to  give  you  all  my 
summer  days,  while  you  were  here,  to  use  when  you 
got  out  of  the  Large  Place.  I  was  very  careful  to  do 
the  sum  right.  The  Wish-Taker  helped  me.  So  I  think 
we  shall  be  able  to  go  on  li\ang  just  as  we  did  before. 
The  minute  is  over.  Perizad !  " 

Suddenly  the  steps  and  angry  voices  died,  the 
moonbeams  deepened  into  the  light  of  day,  and  Peri- 
zad found  himself  in  the  old  home  forest  with  brown 
leaves  underfoot  and  a  soft  wind  blowing. 

Perizada  stood  there  smihng  at  him,  dressed  in 
a  new  suit  of  lovely  brown.    And  Perizad  knew  that 


30  PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA 

in  all  his  life  he  had  never  been  content  as  he  was 
now. 

"  But,  Perizada,"  he  said,  when  they  had  looked  at 
each  other  steadily  for  many  minutes,  in  great  de- 
light, "  where  were  you  all  the  time  you  were  saving 
your  days  for  me  ?  Were  you  Nowhere  ?  " 

For  a  moment  Perizada  did  not  answer.  It  seemed 
as  if  she  remembered  something  dark  and  dreadful. 
Then  she  said  softly:  "  Yes,  I  was  Nowhere." 

""Was  it  — "  he  paused  a  moment,  and  then  he 
asked,  "  Was  it  hard,  Perizada  ?  " 

She  was  still  looking  at  him  bravely. 

"  Yes,  Perizad,"  she  said.  "  But  I  did  it." 

Perizad  stood  thinking  for  a  long  time,  and  then 
he  said :  "  I  wish  I  could  be  sure  they  were  happy  — 
the  ones  I  left  in  the  Large  Place." 

"  We  can  go  there,"  said  Perizada  quickly.  '^  Do 
you  not  see,  the  fence  is  down !  It  is  just  like  other 
places  now.  Come." 

So  hand  in  hand  they  went  back  to  the  Large 
Place.  But  it  was  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  beau- 
ful  forest,  in  the  sober  tints  of  autumn.  The  flow- 
ers had  withered,  the  leaves  were  falling,  and  the 
Wind  had  risen.  And  far  in  the  distance  they  heard 
the  fall  of  little  feet  and  saw  the  shadow  of  a  bushy 


PERIZAD  AND  PERIZADA  31 

tail,  as  the  Squirrel  and  the  Rabbit  hurried  away 
toward  the  outer  world,  where  the  nuts  were  riper 
and  winter  coats  were  more  advanced. 

By  and  by  Perizad  and  Perizada  sat  down  together 
by  the  side  of  a  still  spring  and  looked  into  it  at  the 
picture  of  the  autumn  sky. 

"  I  shall  never  wish  for  things  again,"  said  Perizad. 
"Except  you,  Perizada.  It  would  be  nice  if  there 
were  two  of  you." 

Then  Perizada  laughed  as  we  do  when  we  are  very 
happy.  She  put  her  hand  gently  ujoon  his  head,  and 
bent  it  over  the  pool.  And  as  he  leaned  she  leaned 
also. 

"  Look,  Perizad,"  she  said,  "  there  is  one  Perizada 
in  the  pool.  And  look  at  me.  Here  is  another.  So  there 
are  two  Perizadas,  and  one  is  as  happy  as  the  other, 
because  their  two  dear  Perizads  have  come  back 
from  the  Large  Place." 


PETER  THE   SIMPLE 

LONG  ago  there  stood  in  the  midst  of  a  pleasant 
plain  a  city  which  was  under  the  absolute  rule 
of  a  lord  mayor.  It  had  once  formed  a  tiny  kingdom; 
but  its  citizens  grew  very  tired  of  kings,  and  one  day 
made  the  last  sovereign  over  into  a  private  individual, 
gave  him  a  house  and  garden,  and  invited  him  to  earn 
his  daily  bread.  Then  they  were  quite  happy;  and  the 
ex-king,  who  knew  how  to  raise  excellent  turnips  for 
the  market,  was  also  well  content.  But  after  a  time, 
the  lord  mayor  in  power  became  so  proud  and  ambi- 
tious that  he  insisted  on  living  in  great  state  and  being 
called,  "Your Highness,"  and  "Your  Serene  Mighti- 
ness." So  after  all  the  people  found  they  had  not  bet- 
tered themselves  in  the  least  by  exchanging  one 
sovereign  for  another. 

Now  there  lived  in  this  city  a  worthy  man,  who  was 
called  Peter  the  Simple,  because  he  was  always  mak- 
ing jokes  and  smiling  at  nothing;  and  he  laughed 
whenever  he  saw  the  lord  mayor  ride  out  in  state  or 
heard  him  flattered  by  the  crowd. 

"  How  very  funny ! "  said  he  one  day,  when  the  great 


PETER  THE  SIMPLE  33 

marij  robed  in  velvet  and  ermine,  was  driven  past  in  a 
gilded  chariot. 

The  lord  mayor  heard  him,  and  ordered  his  coach- 
man to  stop. 

"  What  is  funny,  fellow  ?  "  he  called. 

"  Only  to  see  a  lord  mayor  look  so  much  like  a  king," 
said  Peter,  smiling  broadly. 

The  lord  mayor  scowled  and  drove  on. 

"  O  Peter  !  How  could  you  ?  "  cried  Peter's  wife, 
when  the  story  was  told  her  by  a  mischief-making 
neighbor.  "  Now  we  are  undone,  and  all  by  your  fool- 
ish laughter.  Plenty  of  people  no  better  than  we  have 
got  places  in  the  lord  mayor's  council,  and  even  in  the 
palace.  I  meant  myself  to  apply  for  a  situation  as  lord 
mayor's  wife's  lady-in-waiting;  but  I  might  as  well 
save  my  breath  for  sighing  over  your  folly." 

"  Ho !  ho  !  How  funny !  "  cried  Peter,  leaning  on  his 
spade  to  laugh.  "  You  a  lady-in-waiting,  with  your 
face  all  paint  and  your  hair  all  powder,  like  those  purr- 
ing tabbies  I  saw  at  the  palace  the  other  day !  If  that 
came  to  pass,  I  believe  I  should  die  a-laughing." 

His  wife  went  in  and  slammed  the  cottage  door;  but 
the  mischief -making  neighbor,  leaning  over  the  fence, 
had  heard  the  conversation,  and  ran  to  tell  it  in  the 
market-place  and  at  the  palace. 


34  PETER  THE  SIMPLE 

Of  course,  the  lord  mayor's  wife  was  angry  because 
her  attendants  had  been  ridiculed;  and  the  lord  mayor 
himself  declared,  with  a  dignity  that  was  absolutely 
tremendous :  "  Whenever  you  are  attacked,  my  dear, 
I  and  my  great  office  are  attacked  also !  " 

[Now  about  this  time,  everybody  but  the  ex-king 
and  Peter  the  Simple  began  to  imitate  the  lord  mayor, 
and  wear  high  heels  because  he  was  by  nature  a  tall 
man,  and  red  wigs  because  he  had  red  hair.  He  was 
greatly  pleased  and  flattered  by  this,  but  Peter  the 
Simple  laughed  over  it  from  morning  till  night;  and,  as 
he  never  concealed  his  feelings,  it  became  pretty  well 
known  that  he  made  fun  of  the  lord  mayor  and  his 
followers.  This  made  them  angrier  than  ever:  for  the 
more  ridiculous  they  looked,  the  more  they  were  afraid 
of  ridicule.  At  length  it  was  actually  decided  in  Town 
Council  that  the  airs  of  Peter  the  Simple  were  no  longer 
to  be  borne.  A  committee  was  sent  to  reason  with  him, 
and,  if  he  confessed  his  guilt,  to  inform  him  of  the  lord 
mayor's  sentence. 

"When  they  arrived  at  his  cottage,  Peter  was  sitting 
on  his  door-stone,  resting  after  a  hard  forenoon's  work, 
and  smiling  over  the  thought  of  his  wife's  new  red 
wig,  as  it  looked  that  morning  when  he  tied  it  over  the 
cat's  ears. 


PETER  THE  SIMPLE  35 

"It  can't  be  they  want  to  see  me,"  he  thought,  as 
fourteen  red-wiggecl  gentlemen  came  up  the  garden 
walk.  "  No  doubt  they  've  come  to  buy  pears  or  grapes." 

"  Is  your  name  Peter?"  inqmred  the  foremost  coun- 
cilman. 

"  Otherwise  known  as  '  The  Simple,' "  said  Peter. 
"  What  can  I  do  for  you  to-day  ?  If  you  will  sit  down 
here  in  the  garden  I  '11  bring  you  a  fine  dish  of  gra]Des ; 
or,  if  it  pleases  you  to  step  into  the  kitchen,  my  wife 
Margery  shall  make  you  a  royal  omelette." 

"Peter  the  Simple,"  said  the  head  councilman, 
"  you  are  accused  of  manifold  crimes.  Did  you  or  did 
you  not  laugh  at  the  lord  mayor's  beautiful  auburn 
hair  ?  " 

Peter  tried  to  look  grave,  and  put  his  hand  over  his 
mouth. 

"  Well,  your  honor,"  said  he,  "  I  can't  deny  that  I 
said  my  sorrel  colt  had  the  prettiest  red  head  in  town." 

"  Did  you  or  did  you  not  class  yourself  with  the  late 
king  in  speaking  of  the  new  style  of  dress  ?  " 

"As  to  that,"  said  Peter, "  I  did  say  it  seemed  rather 
funny  that  the  ex-king  and  I  should  be  the  only  ones 
that  did  n't  follow  the  fashions.  And  I  leave  it  to  you, 
honored  sir,  if  it  is  n't  funny  to  think  of  an  ex-king  and 
a  simpleton  together." 


36  PETER  THE  SIMPLE 

Then  Peter  began  to  laugh,  and  laughed  so  loud 
and  long  that  the  head  councilman  could  not  get  a 
chance  to  speak,  and  so  grew  very  angry. 

''  Did  you  or  did  you  not,"  shouted  he  at  length, 
when  Peter  paused  for  breath,  "  say  that  the  people 
would  be  better  employed  in  working  at  their  trades 
than  in  curling  their  hair  and  dancing  jigs  ?" 

"I  may  not  have  said  they  would  be  better  off,"  said 
Peter,  "  but  I  certainly  said  the  city  would  be." 

"  You  have  been  guilty  of  high  treason,"  said  the 
head  councilman,  solemnly.  "  Without  further  trial, 
you  will  now  receive  your  sentence,  which  is  that 
you  go  outside  the  city  gates  and  stay  there  hunting 
for  a  needle  in  a  haystack,  until  you  find  it,  or  until 
you  are  recalled  by  the  lord  mayor.  In  your  present 
condition  it  is  impossible  for  sensitive  and  high-minded 
people  like  us  to  live  in  the  same  town  with  you." 

With  that  the  fourteen  gentlemen  turned  about  and 
marched  away. 

!Now  Peter  was  for  a  moment  inclined  to  be  some- 
what melancholy;  but  it  was  not  long  before  he  saw 
something  funny  in  the  idea  of  his  banishment. 

"What  a  queer  occupation  I  shall  have ! "  bethought 
as  he  went  in  to  tell  his  wife  about  it,  and  take  an  early 
dinner  before  setting  out.  "  I  dare  say  I  shall  find  it 


PETER  THE  SIMPLE  37 

quite  amusing  outside  the  city  gates.  At  least,  I  can 
see  all  the  traveling  on  the  road." 

In  half  an  hour  a  guard  of  soldiers  appeared  to  take 
Peter  away;  and  though  his  wife  screamed  at  them, 
and  scolded  him  for  bringing  such  a  calamity  upon 
her,  he  went  merrily  off,  whistling  a  pleasant  tune 
and  cracking  jokes  with  his  escort.  Outside  the  city 
gates  they  took  him ;  and  then,  having  dropped  a  fine 
cambric  needle  in  a  large  haystack,  which  had  been 
put  up  for  the  occasion,  they  left  him  to  his  search. 

The  days  went  on,  and  Peter,  who  was  an  indus- 
trious man,  hunted  for  the  needle  with  all  possible 
diligence. 

One  morning,  as  he  was  cheerfully  picking  up 
wisps  of  hay,  and  laying  them  in  a  separate  pile,  a 
knave  came  riding  by^  and  said  to  him :  "  Hello !  What 
are  you  doing  there  ?  " 

"  Searching  for  a  needle  in  a  haystack,"  said  Peter; 
and  then  he  went  on  to  tell  the  circumstances  of  his 
banishment. 

'^  Oho ! "  said  the  knave.  "  You  must  be  a  stupid 
fellow;  but  still  I  don't  mind  helping  you  out  of  a 
difficulty.  See,  here  is  a  needle  that  I  found  in  an  old 
lady's  housewife  I  stole  the  other  day.  Take  it,  and 
go   tell  the   lord   mayor  you  found  it  in   the   hay- 


38  PETER  THE  SIMPLE 

stack.  Then  you  can  ask  to  be  taken  back  into  the 
town." 

^^Ha!  ha! "  laughed  Peter.  "  That  would  be  a  joke, 
but  it 's  the  kind  I  don't  like  to  play.  When  I  under- 
take a  piece  of  work,  I  'd  rather  finish  it.  So  I  think 
I  '11  find  my  own  needle,  thank  you." 

^^  Yery  well,"  said  the  knave;  and  when  he  rode 
into  the  town,  he  said  to  the  people,  "  At  last  I  Ve 
seen  an  honest  man, —  the  one  out  there  hunting  for 
a  needle  in  a  haystack." 

For  a  moment  the  people  thought  he  was  joking, 
and  then  they  began  to  look  at  each  other  in  wonder. 

''  Can  it  be  possible  he  means  our  Peter  ?  "  said 
they. 

The  next  week  a  philosopher  rode  by,  and  stopped 
to  ask  Peter  what  he  was  doing. 

"  Alas! "  said  the  philosopher,  when  Peter  had  told 
his  story,  "yours  is  a  hard  lot." 

"  Not  so  very  hard,"  answered  Peter,  smiling 
broadly.  "  Every  day  they  send  me  out  a  loaf  of  bread 
from  the  city,  and  my  wife  often  brings  me  an  egg 
or  some  fruit.  Then  there  is  a  cool,  sweet  spring  of 
water  here.  I  sleep  very  well  on  the  haystack,  and  in 
the  morning  the  birds  sing  enough  to  do  your  heart 
good." 


PETER  THE  SIMPLE  39 

"Wonderful!  wonderful!"  exclaimed  the  philoso- 
pher; and  he  strode  on,  shaking  his  head  and  ponder- 
ing. When  he  reached  the  city,  he  said  to  the  crowd 
assembled  in  the  market-place :  "  There  is  a  wise  man 
outside,  hunting  for  a  needle  in  a  haystack.  You  'd 
better  recall  him,  and  beg  him  to  tell  you  how  to  live. 
He  is  the  only  true  philosopher  I  Ve  ever  seen." 

At  this  the  people  were  more  puzzled  than  ever, 
.  and  could  only  repeat  to  one  another :  "  Our  Peter  ? 
Peter  the   Simple  ?  Surely,  no   one   could  call   him 
wise ! " 

Not  many  days  had  passed  before  a  king  appeared 
on  the  highway,  followed  by  a  train  of  horsemen;  and, 
seeing  Peter  at  work,  he  stopped  to  ask  him  what  he 
was  doing  and  where  he  lived. 

"  I  live  here,  your  Majesty,"  said  Peter,  after  he 
had  told  his  occupation ;  "  but  I  used  to  live  in  that 
little  white  house  your  Majesty  will  find  at  the  end  of 
the  first  street,  on  the  left  of  the  city  gate.  It 's  not 
exactly  a  street,  your  Majesty:  it  looks  more  like  a 
long  lane." 

"Then  I  suppose,"  said  the  king,  "if  it's  a  long 
lane,  it  has  no  turning." 

Now  this  sounded  moderately  funny  to  Peter,  and 
he  leaned  against  the  haystack  and  laughed. 


40  PETER  THE  SIMPLE 

"  And,"  said  the  king,  who  began  to  be  highly  de- 
lighted, "if  it's  the  shortest  way  home  for  you,  it 
must  also  be  the  longest  way  round." 

At  this  Peter  laughed  more  and  more,  though  any 
wise  person  would  have  seen  it  was  no  joke  at  all. 

"  What 's  the  difference  between  a  miller  and  a 
caterpillar  ?  "  asked  the  king. 

"O  your  Majesty,  I  don't  know,"  said  Peter; 
"  but  I  'm  sure  the  answer  must  be  tremendously 
funny." 

"  One  makes  the  flour  fly,  and  the  other  makes  the 
butterfly,"  cried  the  king.  "  There !  Did  you  ever 
in  your  life  hear  a  better  joke  than  that  ?  " 

But  Peter  was  laughing  so  hard  that  he  really 
could  n't  answer.  If  he  had  answered,  he  must  have 
told  the  truth,  and  said  he  had  heard  far  better  jokes, 
but  that  he  was  made  in  such  a  manner  as  to  laugh 
at  anything. 

"  You  are  a  good  fellow,"  said  the  king,  "  and  a 
remarkably  sensible  fellow.  When  you  have  worked 
out  your  sentence,  come  over  to  my  kingdom,  and 
I  '11  make  you  my  prime  minister."  And  he  rode  on, 
greatly  pleased,  muttering  to  himself  from  time  to 
time:  "Such  excellent  sense!  Such  fine  percep- 
tions! " 


PETER  THE  SIMPLE  41 

!N'ow  this  king  had  from  his  youth  been  an  unhappy 
man,  because  he  was  always  making  poor  jokes  at 
which  nobody  ever  smiled.  The  courtiers  would  have 
been  delighted  to  roar  themselves  hoarse  if  they  had 
only  known  w^hat  was  expected  of  them ;  but  the  king's 
jokes  w^ere  so  very  bad  that  no  one  knew  what  he  in- 
tended them  for  until  long  afterwards,  when  he  began 
to  frown  and  stamp.  At  last  he  was  in  high  good 
humor  at  finding  one  person  who  laughed  without 
being  told. 

"  I  suppose  you  banished  that  man  out  there  be- 
cause your  lord  mayor  was  jealous  of  him,"  he  said 
to  the  chief  councilmen  sent  out  to  meet  him.  "  I  don't 
wonder :  he  's  a  fellow  of  remarkable  intellect  and  taste. 
I  'm  glad  you  don't  want  him,  however;  for  I  mean 
to  take  him  with  me  on  my  way  back,  and  make  him 
my  prime  minister." 

"  Peter  the  Simple  !  Is  it  possible  ?  "  cried  all  the 
lord  mayor's  advisers.  "  Well,  it  really  looks  as  if  we 
must  have  been  mistaken  in  him,  after  all." 

Meanwhile  Peter  labored  on  cheerfully  at  his  hope- 
less task;  and  one  day  there  came  by  a  lazy  man, 
w^ho  said  to  him :  "  I  Ve  heard  all  about  you,  and  I 
think  you  must  be  a  regular  donkey.  There  's  nobody 
here  to  watch  you  and  see  whether  you  search  or  not. 


42  PETER  THE  SIMPLE 

Why  don't  you  lie  down  on  the  haystack,  and  sleep 
through  the  hottest  part  of  the  day  ?  " 

"Oh,  I  Uke  to  be  busy/'  said  Peter.  "There's  a 
good  deal  of  fun,  after  all,  in  hunting  for  a  needle  in 
a  haystack.  Such  a  joke,  you  know,  to  look  for  what 
you  know  you  '11  never  find." 

"  Well,  that 's  beyond  me,"  said  the  lazy  man ;  and 
he  went  on  into  the  city,  and  told  the  citizens  their 
simpleton  was  the  most  industrious  and  honorable 
man  alive. 

Peter's  next  caller  was  a  fool,  who  could  n't  possibly 
imagine  why  he  was  searching  for  the  needle,  anyway. 

"  Don't  you  see  ?  "  said  Peter,  with  a  wink.  "  Be- 
cause I  've  been  told  to  by  that  very  wise  lord  mayor. 
You  have  to  obey  the  laws  of  your  country,  you  know. 
That 's  what  makes  a  good  citizen." 

Then  the  fool  went  on,  and  told  the  next  person 
he  met  that  he  heard  a  man  say  Peter  the  Simple  was 
an  excellent  citizen. 

After  this  came  a  statesman  who  had  spent  many 
years  of  his  life  in  trying  to  improve  the  laws  of  all 
the  countries  round;  and  being  greatly  interested  in 
trades  and  occupations,  he  paused  to  see  what  Peter 
was  doing. 

"Nothing  of  importance,  sir,"  said  Peter  merrily; 


PETER  THE  SIMPLE  43 

"just  working  out  my  sentence  for  making  fun  of  the 
government." 

The  great  statesman  began  to  look  at  him  with  re- 
newed interest. 

"  Perhaps  you  were  right,"  he  said.  "  I  have  been 
studying  your  government  for  some  months,  and  I  am 
inchned  to  think  one  might  well  make  fun  of  it.  How 
would  you  change  it  ? " 

"  O  sir ! "  said  Peter,  smiling  at  the  idea  of  his 
changing  anything  so  important,  "  I  am  a  simple  fel- 
low, and  know  nothing  about  such  things.  Only  it 
seems  to  me  that  people  would  be  better  off  if  they 
worked  at  their  trades,  wore  plain  clothes,  and  went 
to  bed  early,  than  they  are  dancing  round  in  velvet 
and  false  hair,  and  imposing  heavy  taxes  that  nobody 
can  pay." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  the  statesman.  "  You  are 
quite  right."  And  he,  too,  entered  the  city. 

There  he  found  everything  in  the  greatest  confus- 
ion. The  people  were  at  last  tired  of  living  a  life  of 
idleness  and  display  to  which  they  had  never  been  ac- 
customed, even  in  the  ex-king's  time.  They  all  had 
headaches  from  eating  fruit-cake  and  plum-pudding, 
their  legs  were  stiff  with  dancing,  and  they  were  cross 
from  sitting  up  late  at  night,  paying  compliments  to 


44  PETER  THE  SIMPLE 

tne  lord  mayor  and  his  wife.  Most  of  all  were  they 
tired  of  the  lord  mayor  himself:  for  just  now,  having 
seen  in  the  glass  that  his  nose  was  growing  red,  he 
had  ordered  all  his  subjects  to  paint  their  noses  a 
bright  carmine. 

^'  What  shall  we  do?  "  cried  the  people  to  the  great 
statesman.  "We  are  quite  worn  out  with  the  lord  mayor, 
and  there  is  n't  a  soul  among  us  fit  to  take  his  place. 
We  are  sick  and  tired  of  this  foolish  way  of  living." 

"  The  most  sensible  man  within  reach,"  said  the 
great  statesman,  "  is  the  one  named  Peter,  who  is 
working  contentedly  outside  the  city  gates." 

"  Peter  the  Simple !  "  cried  they  all  with  one  accord. 
"  The  whole  world  sings  his  praise,  and  he  shall  be 
lord  mayor ! " 

They  hurried  into  the  palace,  to  tell  the  present 
lord  mayor  their  decision;  and,  as  you  may  imagine, 
he  turned  red  with  wrath  and  green  with  envy. 

"But  I  won't  be  deposed !  "  he  cried. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  will !  "  shouted  the  people.  "  It 's  a 
revolution,  and  you  can't  help  it.  Get  out  of  that  chair 
instantly,  for  we  want  to  cut  it  down  a  little  for  our 
Peter !  He  's  much  shorter  than  you." 

The  lord  mayor  saw  there  was  nothing  to  do  but 
obey ;  and  so  he  took  off  his  robes,  and  changed  him- 


PETER  THE  SIMPLE  45 

self  speedily  into  a  very  commonplace  sort  of  private 
citizen.  Then  the  people  went  in  procession  to  beg 
Peter  the  Simple  to  take  his  place. 

"  "Why,  really,  I  suppose  I  must,  if  you  wish  it/' 
said  Peter.  ^^I  could  do  it  as  a  sort  of  joke,  you  know. 
But  you  must  allow  me  to  have  the  great  statesman 
foi'  my  prime  minister." 

^'  Of  course! "  cried  the  people. 

"  If  you  wish,^'  answered  the  statesman,  with  dignity. 

Then  Peter  the  Simple  took  the  oath  of  office  out- 
side the  city  gates,  in  order  that  he  might  sign  an 
order  there  for  his  own  recall  from  banishment;  but 
just  as  he  passed  the  document  to  his  prime  minister, 
he  gave  a  great  shout,  — 

"  The  needle !  the  needle !  " 

It  was  actually  found.  Instead  of  falling  through 
the  haystack,  it  had  pierced  a  broad,  dry  leaf,  which 
the  prime  minister  had  taken  to  wipe  his  pen. 

"What  a  joke!  "  cried  Peter;  and  as  he  had  be- 
come lord  mayor,  all  the  people  were  ready  to  laugh 
with  him.  As  for  Margery,  his  wife,  she  looke-d  very 
haughtily  at  her  mischief-making  neighbor. 

"I  always  said  my  husband  could  afford  to  laugh," 
said  she.  "  I  thank  my  stars  I  appreciated  him  from 
the  first!" 


THE  CRY  FAIRY 

[HERE  was  once  a  fairy  who  wanted  to  know  all 
the  things  that  ever  were.  This  was  very  nn- 
usuaJ,  because  most  fairies  know  a  great  deal  more 
than  they  have  time  to  do;  but  somehow  this  fairy, 
who  was  named  Gillibloom,  had  an  idea  that  mortals 
know  a  great  deal  and  that  fairies  would  be  happier 
if  they  could  find  out  what  some  of  the  things  are. 
This  was  because  he  had  one  day  hidden  under  a  leaf 
and  heard  a  very  tall  white-haired  mortal  telling  a 
very  short  yellow-haired  one  queer  things  about  the 
flowers  in  the  woods,  and  calling  them  long  names. 

Afterwards  Gillibloom  had  said  to  the  flowers: 
"  What  made  the  tall  white-top  and  the  short  yellow- 
top  call  you  those  names  ?  " 

And  one  lady's-slipper  had  yawned  and  said :  "  We 
don't  know.  They  're  always  doing  it." 

"  But  are  they  your  real  names  ?  "  said  Gillibloom. 

"  Why,  no,  of  course  not,"  said  the  lady's-slipper. 
"  Our  real  names  are  what  the  spring  wind  calls  us 
when  it 's  time  to  get  up." 

But  Gillibloom  was  not  satisfied.  He  felt  as  if  mor- 


THE  CRY  FAIRY  47 

tals  would  n't  be  so  serious  about  a  thing  unless  there 
was  a  reason  for  it;  and  pretty  soon  he  went  to  the 
Fairy  Queen  and  asked  for  leave  of  absence  for  thirty- 
three  and  a  third  years,  that  he  might  go  and  live 
among  mortals  and  learn  things.  He  asked  for  ex- 
actly thirty-three  and  a  third  years  because  that  is  a 
third  of  a  hundred.  Of  course  it  was  a  good  deal  to 
expect  to  be  excused  from  active  service  for  all  that 
time,  because  active  service  among  fairies  consists  in 
dancing  whenever  they  want  to,  which  is  nearly  every 
minute;  and  every  one  knows  how  hard  it  would  be 
to  give  up  dancing  for  thirty-three  and  a  third  years. 
But  Gillibloom  left  the  fairies  dancing  and  went  away. 

At  the  end  of  thirty-three  and  a  third  years  he 
came  back  again,  and  he  found  the  fairies  dancing 
just  as  if  they  had  never  left  off.  They  were  all  per- 
fectly delighted  to  see  him,  and  they  left  off  dancing 
and  crowded  round  him  and  cried  out  all  together, 
which  is  the  way  the  fairies  sometimes  talk :  "  O  Gil- 
libloom, what  have  you  learned  ?  " 

Gillibloom  looked  at  them  a  few  minutes  very  sol- 
emnly, as  if  he  wanted  them  to  pay  great  attention  to 
what  he  was  going  to  say.  Then  he  answered:  "I 
have  not  really  learned  anything;  but  I  have  almost 
learned  to  cry." 


48  THE  CRY  FAIRY 

"To  cry,  Gillibloom?"  called  the  fairies.  "What 
is  that?" 

"  I  know,"  said  a  fairy  who  was  a  great  traveler, 
and  had  once  gone  on  a  moonbeam  excursion  to  a 
large  town.  "  It 's  what  mortals  do  when  they  want 
something  they  have  n't  got,  or  have  something  they 
don't  want." 

"  Yes,"  said  Gillibloom,  "  that  is  it." 

"  But  what  good  is  it  ?  "  asked  the  other  fairies. 

"I  don't  really  know,"  said  Gillibloom;  "but  I 
think  it  is  really  very  good  indeed,  because  so  many 
of  them  do  it.  Sometimes  if  you  are  very  little  and 
want  something,  and  cry  and  cry,  somebody  brings  it 
to  you." 

"  But  we  don't  want  anything  we  can't  get  without 
crying,"  said  the  fairies. 

"  Yes,  that  is  true,"  said  Gillibloom.  "  But  it  can't 
be  that  so  many  people  would  cry  if  there  wasn't 
some  use  in  it.  Try  as  I  may,  I  can't  find  out  w^hat 
the  use  is;  but  I  thought  I  might  form  a  class  and  we 
could  all  cry  together  and  then  we  should  see  what 
happened." 

Now  some  of  the  fairies  were  too  busy  painting 
flowers  to  join  a  class,  and  some  were  too  busy  riding 
on  bees'- wings,  but  there  were  a  few  dozen  who  said : 


THE  CRY  FAIRY  49 

"We  might  as  well  join.  "Why  not?  It  will  please 
Gillibloomj  and  maybe  there  is  some  use  in  it,  after 
all." 

So  Gillibloom  aj)pointed  the  next  night  by  the 
banks  of  the  Standing  Pool ;  for,  he  said,  it  would  be 
quite  impossible  at  first  to  cry  anywhere  except  by 
the  side  of  still  water. 

The  next  night  they  were  all  there,  twenty-seven 
of  them,  each  with  a  moss-cup  in  his  hand.  Gillibloom 
had  ordered  this  beforehand. 

"  ]N"o  pupil  will  be  admitted,"  he  said,  "  unless  he  is 
provided  with  an  individual  moss-cup  of  the  best  make, 
marked  with  his  initials  in  plain  script." 

The  truth  was  he  had  heard  that  at  one  of  the 
mortal  seminaries  he  had  visited,  and  he  felt  as  if  it 
might  as  well  apply  to  moss-cups  as  to  clothes,  and 
you  couldn't  be  too  jiarticular  about  beginning  right. 

But  when  the  twenty-seven  fairies  came  together 
by  the  Standing  Pool,  they  called  out,  as  if  they 
had  made  up  their  minds  to  it  beforehand :  "  Gilli- 
bloom, what 's  initials  ?  "  And  then,  "  Gillibloom, 
what 's  plain  script  ?  " 

So  Gillibloom  had  to  shake  his  head  at  them  and 
say  very  grandly :  "  That  is  not  the  question.  We  are 
here  to  cry." 


50  THE  CRY  FAIRY 

So  the  fairies  all  sat  down  in  a  circle,  and  looked 
pleasantly  about  at  one  another  and  said:  ^^"We  are 
here  to  cry." 

"  Now,  in  the  beginning,"  said  Gillibloom,  "  I  will 
show  you  how  it  is  done.  The  first  three  of  you  there 
by  the  acorn  must  run  at  me  and  knock  off  my  cap." 

So  the  first  three  ran  gaily  at  him  and  knocked  off 
his  cap;  but  they  might  as  well  not  have  done  it,  for 
another  cap,  just  as  green  and  with  just  as  red  a 
feather,  blew  right  down  from  somewhere  else  and 
settled  on  his  head,  and  the  fairies  laughed,  and  Gil- 
libloom did,  too. 

"  "Well,"  said  he,  '^  the  next  three  of  you  must  trip 
me  up,  and  I  '11  fall  down  on  the  ground,  and  then 
I  '11  show  you  how  to  cry." 

So  the  next  three  tripped  him  up,  and  Gillibloom 
did  n't  mind  it  in  the  least  because,  whatever  you  do 
in  the  fairy  woods,  it  never  hurts.  But  he  remembered 
that  he  was  the  teacher,  and  if  he  did  n't  begin  to 
teach  he  would  pretty  soon  be  no  teacher  at  all.  So 
he  sat  there  on  the  groiuid  and  made  up  a  dreadful 
face,  and  wrinkled  his  forehead  and  shut  his  eyes  and 
pulled  down  the  corners  of  his  mouth.  And  then  he 
dipped  his  own  moss-cup  carefully  into  the  Standing 
Pool,  and  brought  up  a  drop  of  water.  And  he  put 


THE  CRY  FAIRY  51 

his  fingers  in  it  and  splashed  some  on  his  face,  and  it 
ran  down  his  cheeks,  and  he  said  proudly:  "l^o^Y  I 
am  almost  crying." 

"  Ho ! '/  said  the  fairies,  "  is  that  all  ?  AVe  can  do 
that  without  being  taught." 

So  they  wrinkled  up  their  foreheads  and  shut  their 
eyes  and  drew  down  their  mouths  and  dipped  their 
fingers  in  the  moss-cups  and  sprinkled  their  faces  and 
made  a  bellowing  noise,  and  they  said  proudly:  "  Now 
we  are  almost  crying,  too." 

Gillibloom  had  opened  his  eyes  and  wiped  his  cheeks 
on  a  bit  of  everlasting  petal. 

"  That  was  very  good,"  he  said,  "  very  good  indeed! 
To-morrow  we  will  go  on  with  the  second  lesson." 

But  the  twenty-seventh  fairy  was  thinking  just  then 
that  he  might  have  been  dancing  all  this  time,  and  he 
said:  "  GiUibloom,  I  don't  see  what  good  it  will  do." 

"  What  good  will  what  do  ?  "  Gillibloom  repeated, 
rather  crossly :  for  he  did  not  see  either. 

"  Learning  to  cry,"  said  the  twenty-seventh  fairy. 
"  It  is  n't  very  pleasant  to  do,  and  we  look  horrid  when 
we  make  up  faces,  and  we  sound  horrid  when  we  bel- 
low. And  you  said  it  was  a  way  to  get  things  when 
we  w^ant  them.  But  we  told  you  before,  we  don't 
want  anything  we  have  n't  got.  And  besides,  look  at 


52  THE  CRY  FAIRY 

us!  We've  cried  to-day,  and  we  haven't  got  any- 
thing. And  I  don't  know  but  we  have  lost  some- 
thing :  for  if  we  had  n't  been  here,  we  might  have  been 
dancing,  and  when  you  are  dancing  you  've  got  the 
preciousest  thing  there  is.  So  there !  " 

"  It  must  be  remembered  that  we  have  only  learned 
Almost  Crying  to-day,"  said  Gillibloom,  with  dignity. 
"  So  of  course  we  have  only  Almost  got  something. 
When  we  have  learned  Quite  Crying  it  will  be  a  dif- 
ferent matter." 

"I  can't  help  it,"  said  the  twenty-seventh  fairy. 
'^  I  'm  not  coming  any  more.  Anybody  want  my  cup?  " 

But  nobody  did,  because  all  the  other  pupils  had 
kept  their  cups  very  carefully,  and  he  tossed  it  into 
the  Standing  Pool  and  danced  away  through  the  for- 
est, smging :  — 

"  School 's  dismissed !  School 's  dismissed  I 
Out  of  so  many  I  shan't  be  missed. 
By  and  by  they  '11  learn  to  cry. 
But  if  any  one 's  there,  it  won't  be  I. 
I  'd  rather  sing  or  dance  or  fly, 
Or  swim  in  a  puddle  where  star-shines  lie. 
I  '11  not  cry  —  not  I ! " 

And  the  next  day  it  was  just  the  same.  The  twenty- 
six  fairies  sat  by  the  side  of  the  Standing  Pool,  and 


THE  CRY  FAIRY  53 

Gillibloom  wrinkled  up  his  forehead  and  shut  his  eyes 
and  drew  down  his  mouth  and  bellowed  and  wet  his 
cheeks  with  water  out  of  his  moss-cup;  and  they  all 
did  the  same,  and  then  they  said :  "  Now  we  are  Al- 
most Crying." 

But  when  the  lesson  was  over,  the  twenty-sixth 
fairy  said  he  had  some  wheat  ripening  to  attend  to  in 
a  field  ever  so  far  away ;  and  the  next  day  the  twenty- 
fifth  fairy  said  there  was  a  Crow  Caucus  on,  and  he 
wanted  to  see  what  they  meant  to  do  about  the  scare- 
crow in  the  field  they  'd  owned  from  a  time  whereof 
the  memory  of  crows  runneth  not  to  the  contrary,  — 
and  he  couldn't  come  any  more;  and  the  next  day 
the  twenty-fourth  fairy  said  there  were  ever  so  many 
dancing  steps  he  had  n't  practiced  for  a  long  time, 
and  he  could  n't  come  any  more ;  and  the  next  day 
the  twenty-third  fairy  said  there  was  a  queer-shaped 
leaf  on  the  watercress  down  by  the  spring,  and  he 
thought  he  ought  to  look  round  a  bit  and  see  if  there 
were  any  more  like  it,  and  he  couldn't  come  any 
more. 

And  so  it  went  on  until  Gillibloom  was  the  only 
one  left,  and  he  sat  by  the  Standing  Pool  and  dished 
up  water  to  splash  his  face  and  wrinkled  up  his  fore- 
head and  shut  his  eyes  and  drew  down  his  mouth  and 


64  THE  CRY  FAIRY 

bellowed;  and  whenever  the  rest  of  the  fames  heard 
him  or  saw  him,  they  clapped  their  hands  over  their 
eyes,  and  put  their  fingers  in  their  ears,  and  ran  away 
as  hard  as  they  could  pelt.  And  so  it  happened  that 
the  forest  about  the  Standing  Pool  was  perfectly 
quiet:  for  no  bird  or  squirrel  or  bee  or  any  other 
thing  that  lives  and  breathes  in  the  forest  will  stay 
after  the  fairies  are  gone. 

And  the  Sun  looked  in  and  said  :  "  There  is  nobody 
there  but  that  silly  Gillibloom,  and  he  is  Almost  Cry- 
ing all  the  time.  I  '11  go  away  and  shine  somewhere 
else." 

And  the  Moon  looked  down  at  night  and  said: 
"  Why,  there  's  nothing  in  that  forest  but  a  Dreadful 
Sound.  There 's  no  use  in  my  troubling  myself  to 
squeeze  down  through  the  branches,  for  sounds  can 
get  along  just  as  well  by  themselves." 

So  she  drove  off  very  fast  to  the  fairy  green  and 
rolled  such  a  river  of  light  into  the  fairy  ring  that 
the  fairies  gave  up  dancing  and  got  flower-cups  and 
sailed  on  the  river,  and  some  who  couldn't  stop  to 
get  flower-cups  swam  in  it,  and  it  was  the  gayest  night 
ever  to  be  remembered. 

Now  when  Gillibloom  found  that  the  fairies  had  all 
gone  and  left  him  to  himself,  and  the  four-footed  things 


THE  CRY  FAIRY  55 

and  the  two-footed  things,  and  the  things  that  have 
feathers  and  fur  and  gauze- wings  and  shell- wings, 
he  felt  differently  from  what  he  ever  had  before.  He 
had  been  bellowing  for  a  long  time  that  night,  be- 
cause he  was  determined  to  learn  to  cry  and  get  it  over 
and  then  go  back  to  his  people;  but  now  he  said  to 
himself:  "  I  will  not  cry  any  more.  And  anyway  it  is 
not  Quite  Crying,  and  if  Almost  Crying  makes  every- 
thing run  away  from  me,  I  don't  know  what  Quite 
Crying  would  do." 

So  he  tried  to  shut  his  mouth,  and  stop  its  bellow- 
ing; but  it  w^ould  not  sto23.  And  he  tried  to  smooth 
his  forehead,  and  it  stayed  wrinkled,  and  he  tried  to 
open  his  eyes,  and  they  would  not  open,  and  he  tried 
to  draw  up  the  corners  of  his  mouth,  and  they  would 
stay  down.  And  there  was  a  strange  feeling  in  his 
throat,  and  his  heart  beat  very  fast,  and  though  he 
had  not  dipped  up  the  water  of  the  Standing  Pool 
for  as  much  as  two  hours,  his  cheeks  were  all  wet. 

"  Oh,"  said  Gillibloom  to  himself,  "  what  has  hap- 
pened to  me !  what  has  happened  to  me !  " 

And  he  started  running  just  as  fast  as  he  could 
through  the  silent  forest  to  the  Earth- Woman's  house, 
and  as  he  ran  he  said  to  himself :  "  What  has  happened 
to  me?  What  has  happened  to  me?  Am  I  afraid? " 


56  THE  CRY  FAIRY 

Now  for  a  fairy  to  be  afraid  is  just  as  impossible 
as  for  it  not  to  be  a  fairy;  but  Gillibloom  knew  he 
was  somehow  changed,  and  he  could  only  run  and 
call  aloud  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "  Am  I  afraid  ?  Am 
I  afraid  ?  " 

ISTow  the  Earth-Woman  lives  in  the  very  middle  of 
the  wood,  in  a  green  house  that  nobody  can  see  by 
day,  and  a  dark  brown  house  that  nobody  can  see  at 
twilight,  and  a  black  house  that  nobody  can  see 
by  night.  And  when  she  heard  Gillibloom  come 
screaming  through  the  forest,  she  stepped  to  her 
door  and  stood  waiting  for  him,  and  in  a  minute  he 
was  there,  and  laid  hold  of  her  skirts  and  clung  to 
them. 

"  Well !  well !  "  said  the  Earth- Woman,  "  and  who 
is  this  ?  "  Then  she  stooped  down  and  took  up  Gil- 
libloom between  her  thumb  and  forefinger,  and  looked 
at  him.  "By  acorns  and  nuts! "said  she.  "It's  the 
Cry  Fairy." 

"No!  no! "said  Gillibloom.  "No!  no!  I'm  the 
Almost  Cry  Fairy.  I  'm  never  going  to  Quite  Cry, 
for  I  don't  know  what  it  would  do  to  me." 

The  Earth- Woman  laid  her  finger  to  Gillibloom's 
cheek  and  touched  it  and  put  it,  all  wet,  to  her  lips.  She 
nodded  and  then  shook  her  head. 


THE  CRY  FAIRY  57 

"  Well,"  said  she,  "  you  were  a  silly,  were  n't  you  ? 
Now  what  do  you  want  me  to  do  ?  " 

Gillibloom  kept  on  bellowing. 

"I  want  to  be  with  the  others." 

"  What  others  ?  "  asked  the  Earth- Woman  severely. 
"  The  other  cry-babies  ?  " 

"  The  fairies  and  the  furs  and  the  feathers  and  the 
wings  and  the  fins  and  the  tails  and  the  sun  and  the 
moon,"  bellowed  Gillibloom :  though  now  you  could 
hardly  have  understood  a  word  he  said. 

But  the  Earth- Woman  could  understand.  She  im- 
derstood  everything. 

"  Then,"  she  said,  "you  must  open  your  eyes, 
smooth  out  your  forehead  and  pull  up  your  mouth, 
and  stop  that  noise." 

Gillibloom  tried,  because,  whatever  the  Earth- 
Woman  says  in  the  forest,  it  has  to  be  done.  But  he 
could  not  do  it.  And  worse  than  that,  he  found  he 
didn't  really  want  to. 

"  Do  you  like  to  have  your  throat  feel  all  pinched 
up,  as  if  you  could  n't  swallow  a  drop  of  honey  ?  "  the 
Earth- Woman  asked  him. 

"No! "  screamed  Gillibloom.  And  then  he  roared 
louder  than  ever.  You  could  have  heard  him  across 
twenty  violets. 


58  THE  CRY  FAIRY 

"  Do  you  like  to  have  your  mouth  all  salt  with 
tears,  and  your  pretty  tunic  wet  with  them  ?  " 

"  No !  no ! "  said  GiUibloom. 

But  he  kept  on  roaring. 

"  There,  you  see !  "  said  the  Earth-Woman.  "  Now 
I  '11  tell  you  something,  Gillibloom,  and  you  keep  it 
in  your  mind  until  you  forget  it.  The  more  you  cry, 
the  harder  it  is  to  stop,  and  the  only  way  to  stop  cry- 
mg  is  to  smile." 

"  Cry  ?  "  said  Gillibloom.  "  Is  this  Quite  Crying  ? 
Is  n't  it  Almost  Crying  ?  " 

"  That 's  as  may  be,"  said  the  Earth- Woman  wisely. 
"Now  you  come  in  here  with  me." 

So  she  carried  him  into  her  hut,  where  it  is  very 
dark  but  Hght  enough  to  see  to  do  all  sorts  of  won- 
derful things;  and  she  ironed  out  his  forehead  and 
put  a  nice  polish  on  it,  and  she  opened  his  eyes  and 
told  them  to  stay  open,  and  she  shut  his  mouth 
and  told  it  to  stay  shut,  and  when  it  had  really  done 
it,  she  stretched  it  very  carefully  indeed,  until  it  was 
perhaps  two  cat's  hairs  wider  than  it  had  been  for  a 
long  time. 

"  There ! "  said  she,  "  I  can't  do  any  more  until  it 
softens  a  Httle.  Lie  down  there,  Gillibloom,  and  think 
about  leaves  in  spring." 


THE  CRY  FAIRY  59 

So  Gillibloom  lay  down  on  a  very  soft  couch  that 
was  perhaps  rose-leaves  and  perhaps  thistledown  and 
perhaps  corn-silk;  and  when  he  had  lain  there  a  day 
and  a  night,  the  Earth-AYoman  stretched  his  mouth  a 
little  more,  and  a  little  more.  And  one  night  she  said 
to  him :  "  Now,  Gillibloom,  your  cure  will  take  quite 
a  long  time  yet ;  but  you  must  do  the  rest  of  it  your- 
self. And  this  is  what  you  must  do.  Whenever  you 
think  of  crying,  you  must  stretch  your  mouth  just  as 
wide  as  you  can — " 

""Why,  that's  what  the  mortals  call  smihng,"  said 
Gillibloom. 

"And  you  must  keep  on  doing  it  until  you've  for- 
gotten to  cry.  Now  I  wish  you  were  in  the  fairy 
ring." 

And  she  had  no  sooner  said  it  than  he  was  there. 
All  the  fairies  were  dancing  the  new  dance  that  is 
called,"  Remember  the  Robins  and  Roses  To-day  and 
Think  of  the  Lilies  and  Larks."  The  fairies  always  have 
such  long  titles  !  but  it  takes  a  great  many  words  to  say 
what  they  want  to  say,  and  then  it  is  n't  all  put  in.  Now 
when  they  saw  Gillibloom  standing  there  among 
them,  balancing  on  one  foot  and  trying  to  look  very 
bold  and  gay,  they  stopped  dancing  and  half  turned 
away  and  looked  at  him  over  their  shoulders.  If  Gil- 


60  THE  CRY  FAIRY 

libloom  was  going  to  teach,  they  did  n't  propose  to 
stay  more  than  a  second  and  a  half  in  his  company. 

Gilhbloom  really  looked  very  nice.  The  Earth- 
Woman  had  got  the  salt  stains  out  of  his  timic,  and 
pressed  it  neatly  for  him,  and  brought  him  a  new  pair 
of  grasshopper  tights.  (They  were  very  much  worn 
at  that  time.)  And  he  was  stretching  his  mouth  as 
hard  as  he  could,  and  he  put  up  one  hand  stealthily 
and  touched  his  cheek,  and  it  was  quite  dry.  That 
gave  him  courage. 

"  Come  on,  fellows,"  said  he.  "  On  with  the 
dance ! " 

Just  then  the  moon  looked  down,  and  she  was  so 
pleased  to  see  Gillibloom  back  again  that  she  tossed  a 
moon-wreath  down  over  his  shoulders,  and  it  bright- 
ened up  the  old  tunic  wonderfully  and  sent  a  splendid 
light  up  into  his  face.  And  the  fairies  could  see  he 
was  smiling,  and  they  began  singing  together,  tenor 
and  bass  and  treble  and  alto,  high  and  low,  and  as 
many  trills  as  you  please,  and  all  the  grace-notes  that 
will  go  in  comfortably. 

"GilHbloom!"  they  sang,  "  Gillibloom!  Gillibloom 's 
come  back ! '' 


HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT 

THE  mother  of  Boy  Gladheart  was  a  very  busy 
woman,  and,  provided  he  seemed  well  and  happy, 
cared  little  how  he  spent  his  time;  so  it  happened  that 
he  grew  into  the  habit  of  staying  out-of-doors,  in  the 
deep  woods  or  bright  meadows,  from  daylight  until 
dark.  There  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  fairy 
Drolla,  and  she  told  him  many  wonderful  things,  which 
few  children  know.  If  they  learn  them  at  all,  it  is  from 
some  book  of  fairy  tales,  and  that  is  far  less  pleasant 
than  hearing  them  from  a  fairy's  lips. 

One  day,  the  two  sat  together  under  the  shade  of  an 
apple-tree  in  bloom.  Droll a's  dress  was  of  apple-green, 
and  her  face  was  rosy  from  the  shade  of  a  parasol, 
made  of  a  peach-blossom,  curving  above  her  head. 
She  had  been  telling  Gladheart  about  the  brownies 
who  work  for  mortals,  expecting  only  love  in  reward, 
and  of  those  frolicsome  elves  who  sleep  all  day  and 
dance  by  night,  — 

"  Under  the  blossom  that  hangs  on  the  bough." 
"  You  fairies  are  happy  creatures,"  said  Gladheart. 


62   HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT 

"  But  if  I  could  have  my  choice,  I  'd  rather  be  a 
king." 

"  A  fairy  king  ?  "  asked  Drolla. 

"  No,  a  real,  mortal  king,  with  a  crown  of  gold." 

Drolla  laughed.  She  never  frowned,  even  when 
some  one  had  displeased  her;  but  those  who  knew  her 
well  could  trace  many  shades  of  feeling  in  her  mirth. 
This  time  it  sounded  scornful. 

"  Kings  are  different  from  other  men,"  said  Glad- 
heart,  with  decision.  "  Oh,  yes,  Drolla,  they  are ! " 

"  Tell  me  about  your  kings,"  said  the  fairy,  throw- 
ing herself  back  on  her  couch  of  mullein  velvet.  "  I 
tell  you  about  my  people ;  now  it 's  your  turn." 

"  Well,  in  the  first  place,"  said  Gladheart,  "  a  king 
lives  in  a  beautiful  palace.  He  wears  silken  robes  and 
eats  from  dishes  of  gold.  Everything  about  him  is 
rich  and  perfect.  Now  you  know  when  we  common 
folks  want  a  fire,  we  go  out  into  the  woods  and  gather 
sticks  for  it;  but  nothing  of  the  sort  happens  in  a 
king's  palace.  Even  his  firewood  is  carved  by  clever 
workmen.  They  cut  upon  it  great  sprays  of  vines  and 
flowers,  and  flocks  of  swallows  with  sweeping  wings. 
The  people  that  come  near  the  king  must  all  be  as 
perfect  as  the  things  he  sees  and  touches.  The  court- 
iers have  scented  baths,  and  dress  in  snowy  linen  and 


HE   3rADE   THE  ACQUAINTANCE   OF   THE  FAIRY  DROLLA 


HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT     63 

soft  fabrics;  even  the  palace  servants  are  fine  and 
pure.  I  suppose,  if  one  hair  of  their  heads  lay  the  wrong 
way,  the  king  would  know  it  and  shudder,  because  he 
is  so  great." 

"  Who  has  told  you  this  ?  "  asked  the  fairy,  with  an 
odd  little  smile. 

"  No  one ;  but  I  have  thought  it  out  myself,  know- 
ing w^hat  kings  must  be,  always  to  have  been  so  served 
and  worshiped  by  other  men.  I  suppose  there  are  no 
tears  at  the  palace,  and  no  wicked  or  cruel  thoughts; 
but  all  minds  are  spotless,  and  all  lives  like  music.  O 
Drolla,  it  must  be  a  wonderful  thing  to  be  a  king,  and 
even  to  see  one !  I  long  for  that,  though  of  course  I 
am  not  good  enough." 

"  My  little  Gladheart,"  said  Drolla,  with  a  pitying 
smile,  "  these  things  are  not  in  the  least  as  you  im- 
agine. Kings  are  quite  as  likely  to  be  common  people 
as  your  ow^n  father  and  mother." 

Gladheart  was  almost  angry  at  this.  He  rose  and 
walked  aw^ay  from  his  fairy  friend,  but  presently  he 
came  back,  saying:  "Drolla,  I  shall  find  out  who  is 
right.  Our  own  king's  court  is  not  many  leagues  away, 
and  to-morrow,  at  daybreak,  I  shall  set  out  to  see  it. 
Will  you  go  with  me  ? " 

''  Not  I,"  said  Drolla.  "  No,  Gladheart,  not  I !  I  have 


64   HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO-  COURT 

important  things  to  do.  I  have  to  sit  here  in  the  grass 
and  Hsten  to  the  sound  of  waving  plumes  and  sprout- 
ing seeds.  Stay  with  me  and  I  will  teach  you  more 
wonderful  things  than  you  can  learn  at  court,  and  show 
you  more  marvelous  sights." 

"  "What  things  ?  "  asked  Gladheart.  «  What  sights  ?  " 

"  I  will  tell  you  what  lies  hid  at  the  heart  of  a  wild 
rose,  and  what  the  sparrow  calls  to  his  mate  in  the 
early  morning.  I  will  teach  you  the  songs  sung  in 
Dreamland,  and  the  poems  no  man  has  made." 

"  I  must  go,"  said  Gladheart,  shaking  his  head.  "  I 
long  to  know  what  a  real  king  is  like,  and  I  never 
shall  be  satisfied  until  I  learn." 

"  That  is  like  you  mortals,"  said  Drolla  sadly.  "  You 
must  learn,  and  you  are  not  satisfied  to  know  the  things 
that  are  best.  But  never  mind!  If  you  will  go,  take 
this  leaf,  and,  when  you  are  in  need,  give  it  to  any  liv- 
ing thing  you  see,  except  a  mortal.  Good-by,  Glad- 
heart." 

For  the  space  of  an  hour  Gladheart  was  sad  at 
parting  from  his  friend;  but  presently  his  mind  was 
filled  with  the  thought  of  going  to  court,  and  at  sun- 
rise, next  day,  he  stole  from  his  little  bed  and  crept  out 
of  the  house  before  his  mother  w^as  awake.  He  had 
taken  a  piece  of  bread  in  his  pocket  and  knowing 


HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT  65 

that  it  would  be  ample  for  a  few  hours,  gave  himself 
no  uneasiness  about  dinner.  As  Drolla  often  said :  "  Do 
not  worry  and  blackberries  will  jump  into  your  mouth." 
The  morning  was  all  green  and  golden,  with  floods 
of  sunlight  on  the  dew-washed  grass.  Gladheart's  feet 
were  like  wings,  and  as  he  walked  along,  now  running 
a  little  for  joy,  and  now  tossing  his  cap  in  the  air,  he 
began  singing,  and  these  were  the  words  of  his  song: 

"Little  folk  high  and  little  folk  low, 
Down  in  the  earth  or  up  in  the  air. 
Come  to  me,  follow  me,  whither  I  go ! 
Lead  me  in  paths  that  are  pleasant  and  fair ! " 

The  whole  wide  world  seemed  empty,  except  for 
the  birds  and  flowers  and  Gladheart;  but  these  were 
enough — some  for  song,  and  some  for  fragrance,  and 
one  little  boy  to  love  them  all. 

"  And  this  is  what  it  is  to  seek  adventure !  "  cried 
he.  "Oh,  how  much  better  than  to  drone  along  at 
home,  even  with  Drolla  to  sing  and  smile !  " 

But  as  the  day  sped  on,  and  the  sun  mounted  high 
in  the  heavens,  his  spirits  fell  from  their  topmost 
flight,  for  he  was  hungry.  He  had  finished  his  bread 
at  breakfast-time,  and  now  — 

"What  shall  I  do  ?  "  thought  he,  as  he  stopped  to 


66   HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT 

dabble  his  bare  brown  feet  in  a  meadow  brook. 
"  Who  will  help  me  to  find  a  dinner  ?  " 

But  the  brook  did  not  answer,  and  kept  on  singing 
its  own  song.  Suddenly  Gladheart  remembered  the 
fairy  leaf,  which  he  had  kept  carefully  in  his  bosom, 
and  he  bent  over  and  held  it  in  the  musical  flow  of 
the  water. 

"  Brook,  Brook,  what  shall  I  eat  ?  " 

Then  the  brook  found  a  tongue  that  mortal  could 
understand,  and  sang  aloud  and  clearly,  — 

"  Whatever  is  moving,  whatever  is  roving, 
That  shalt  thou  trust  in,  and  follow  and  follow. 
Be  it  slow  snail,  or  the  swift-darting  swaUow." 

Gladheart  was  puzzled,  and  looked  about  him.  But 
everything  lay  quiet  under  the  summer  sun. 

"  Perhaps  it  is  the  brook  itself,"  he  said,  at  last. 
"  That  is  the  only  moving  thing  I  see." 

"Oh,  follow," 
sang  the  brook, 

"  Straight  through  the  tangle,  and  down  through  the  hollow. 
To  slopes  where  red  raspberries  grow." 

Gladheart  had  become  so  hungry  that  he  started 
running  at  this,  and  hardly  stopped  until  he  reached 
the  place  where  berries  hung  warm  in  the  sun. 


HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT      67 

"  Thank  you,  dear  Brook !  "  he  cried,  and  ate  until 
his  mouth  was  stained  and  fragrant. 

The  brook  heeded  him  no  more,  but  went  singing 
along  the  way,  and  Gladheart  lay  down  on  the  fresh 
grass  and  slept  an  hour.  When  he  awoke,  a  mouse 
sat  quietly  regarding  him  out  of  his  bead-like  eyes. 
It  was  pointing  at  him  with  one  tiny  paw,  and,  seeing 
that,  Gladheart  remembered  that  he  was  still  holding 
Drolla's  leaf,  now  fresh  and  green  again  from  the 
waters  of  the  brook. 

"  Thing  possessed  of  a  mortal  soul, 
Why  do  you  hold  the  fairy  scroll  ?  " 

squeaked  the  mouse. 

"I  showed  it  to  the  brook,"  explained  Gladheart, 
"and  the  brook  told  me  where  to  get  my  dinner. 
]S"ow  I  w^ant  to  find  some  one  who  will  tell  me  the 
way  to  the  king's  palace.  Do  you  know  it  ?  " 

The  mouse  looked  very  important,  and  began 
pompously :  — 

"  Many  things  I  know  — 
Where  the  farmhouse-cheeses  grow, 
Where  the  ripest  grains  are  hid, 
Underneath  the  meal-chest  Ud ; 
But  to  court  I  never  go." 


68   HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT 

Just  then  began  a  prodigious  chattering  over  their 

heads. 

"Call  the  lark!  the  lark! 

He  could  find  it  in  the  dark ! " 

Gladheart  looked  up  and  saw  a  squirrel  sitting  with 
his  tail  over  his  head  for  an  umbrella.  He  it  was  who 
had  thrown  down  this  good  advice. 

"  The  lark !  the  lark !  "  cried  scores  of  voices,  loud 
and  low,  piercing  and  sweet,  those  of  insect,  flower, 
and  bird :  for  he  who  carries  a  fairy  scroll  is  sure  to 
find  all  the  world  ready  to  help  him.  Then  came  a 
sweep  of  wings,  and  a  bird  settled  on  a  plume  of 
grass  by  Gladheart's  side,  just  touching  it  with  his 
feet,  and  swaying  and  bowing  as  it  swayed  and  bowed. 
The  clamor  of  sound  was  hushed,  for  the  lark  is  a 
spirit  among  birds. 

"  Follow  the  lark,  the  king," 

whispered  the  mouse  to  Gladheart. 

"  Sweet  is  his  throat. 
Swift  is  his  wing, 
But  evermore  silent  and  humble  is  he, 
If  commanded  the  guide  of  the  needy  to  be.'* 

Gladheart  rose  to  his  feet,  and  the  lark  fluttered  on 
before  him,   sometimes   coming  back,   in  beautiful 


HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT     69 

curves  of  flight,  and  then  for  a  moment  hovering 
over  the  boy's  head. 

"  Thank  you,  dear  Lark ! "  said  Gladheart. 

But  the  lark  did  not  answer.  He  darted  up  into  the 
heavens  and  dropped  a  flood  of  such  singing  that  the 
child's  heart  stood  still  with  wonder;  then  he  swept 
down  and  guided  as  before.  So  they  journeyed  on, 
and  whenever  the  lark  stopped,  Gladheart  knew  that 
it  was  intended  as  a  sign  for  him  to  pick  berries  or 
rest  by  the  way.  Fearing  he  might  lose  the  magic 
leaf,  he  pinned  it  in  his  cap,  and  after  that  many 
strange  things  happened.  A  red-brown  pony,  at  pas- 
ture in  a  field,  chanced  to  spy  it,  and  trotted  up  with 
head  bent  and  mild  eyes  full  of  love,  and  Gladheart 
understood  at  once  that  he  was  to  mount  and  ride.  So 
he  sprang  on  the  pony's  back,  held  tightly  by  his 
mane,  and  away  they  went  over  hill  and  meadow,  the 
lark  flying  fast  before.  "When  they  had  gone  many 
miles,  the  pony  stopped,  and  Gladheart  slid  to  the 
ground,  knowing  he  must  not  take  his  little  friend 
too  far. 

"  Thank  you,  dear  Pony,"  he  said,  and  the  pretty 
creature  trotted  away  over  the  track  by  which  they 
had  come.  Then  before  Gladheart  and  the  lark  had 
crossed  another  pasture,  a  little  rough  donkey,  with 


70      HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT 

long  ears  and  hair  standing  every  way,  came  gallop- 
ing up,  and  mutely  invited  the  boy  to  mount.  It  was 
with  great  joy  that  he  did  it,  for  the  donkey  was  so 
funny  that  Gladheart  loved  him  even  better  than  his 
other  friend.  Away  they  went,  though  not  at  the 
pony's  pace,  and  it  did  not  seem  long  before  the  don- 
key also  stopped,  and  Gladheart  bade  him  good-by, 
saying :  "  Thank  you,  dear  Donkey !  " 

Now  the  lark  settled  on  a  twig,  and  Gladheart  be- 
gan to  notice  that  it  was  growing  dark. 

"  Is  it  time  for  bed,  dear  Lark  V  "  he  asked,  and  the 
bird  for  answer  put  his  head  under  his  wing.  So  Glad- 
heart lay  down  beneath  a  tree,  and,  looking  up  at  the 
darkening  heavens,  tried  to  be  contented  and  to  think 
as  little  as  possible  of  his  mother  and  his  friend  DroUa, 
for  fear  the  tears  might  come.  Whatever  should  hap- 
pen he  determined  to  be  brave,  and  for  protection 
from  wandering  things,  placed  beside  his  hand  his 
cap  bearing  the  fairy  leaf,  that  he  might  seize  it  at 
any  moment.  It  was  not  long  before  his  eyes  closed 
and  he  knew  no  more,  though  his  sleep  was  filled  with 
sweeter  dreams  than  any  he  had  yet  imagined. 

He  dreamed  of  houses  made  of  gold,  and  taller  than 
the  trees,  and  these,  he  thought,  were  palaces.  He 
dreamed  of  men  in  shining  armor,  walking  among 


HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT   71 

beds  of  flowers,  sweeter  than  any  in  his  mother's  gar- 
den —  and  these,  he  knew,  were  kings.  And  one  of 
them  —  the  tallest  of  them  all  and  the  most  shining 
—  put  out  a  hand  to  him,  and  said :  "  Come,  Gladheart! 
come,  and  walk  with  us !  " 

So  they  paced  up  and  down  together,  in  great  con- 
tent, and  Gladheart  felt  that  it  was  a  very  wonderful 
world. 

"When  the  light  began  to  come  and  the  w^oods  about 
him  were  filled  with  the  music  from  many  birds,  he 
heard  also  the  sweep  of  wings,  and  became  aware  of 
shadows  passing  across  his  eyelids.  He  lifted  them 
slowly,  and  lo!  birds  of  every  sort,  from  the  saucy 
crow  to  the  nimble  sparrow,  were  flying  above  him, 
sweeping  down  and  away,  and  close  by  his  hand  lay 
a  pile  of  fruit,  brought  for  breakfast  in  their  brown 
and  golden  bills. 

"  Thank  you,  dear  Birds ! "  he  called ;  and  as  he 
spoke  they  disappeared,  with  one  last  whirr. 

Gladheart  sat  up,  and  looked  about  him,  and  then 
Mother  Cow  and  Grandmother  Sheep  rose,  too,  from 
their  places  close  by  his  side,  and  walked  slowly  aw^ay. 
They  also  had  seen  the  fairy  scroll,  and  had  lain  there 
all  night  to  keep  him  warm.  Gladheart  called  his 
thanks  after  them,  and  then,  bathing  his  face  in  a  clear 


72   HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT 

stream,  he  breakfasted  on  fruit,  and  rose  to  continue 
his  journey.  As  he  did  so  a  stream  of  silver  notes  came 
dropping  through  the  air,  and  with  them,  nearer  and 
nearer,  sank  the  lark,  ready  to  guide  him  as  before. 

For  hours  Gladheart  followed  the  bird's  flight,  and 
finally  he  was  sure  within  his  heart  that  he  was  near 
the  palace.  The  ground  over  which  he  traveled  was 
laid  out  in  beautiful  parks,  and  turrets  rose  in  the 
distance.  A  train  of  huntsmen  swept  past,  taking  no 
notice  of  the  dusty  little  boy,  though  the  dogs  smelled 
the  leaf  in  his  cap  and  lingered  to  fawn  upon  him. 
At  length  the  turrets  looked  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
Gladheart  entered  a  great  gate,  and  his  joy  knew  no 
bounds.  He  trudged  along  a  graveled  walk,  the  lark 
flying  slowly  and  sorrowfully  behind,  and  came  sud- 
denly upon  a  group  of  men,  sitting  about  a  table,  on 
which  stood  a  flagon  and  drinking  cups  of  gold. 
One  who  sat  apart,  with  a  frown  on  his  face,  was  the 
first  to  notice  Gladheart. 

"  Who  is  that  beggar  ?  "  he  said  to  a  servant  at  his 
elbow.  "  Turn  him  out,  or  ask  him  what  he  wants." 

The  servant  ran  forward.  He  took  Gladheart  by 
the  collar. 

"  Now,  then,  little  beggar,''  said  he,  "  what  do  you 
want?" 


HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT   73 

Gladheart  did  not  tremble,  though  he  wished  his 
mother  were  by. 

"  I  want  to  see  the  king,"  he  said  stoutly;  and  the 
lackey,  running  back  to  his  lord,  repeated  the  speech 
and  looked  as  if  he  could  titter  if  he  dared. 

"  Wants  to  see  the  king,  does  he  ?  "  repeated  the 
other.  "  Well,  boy,  come  here  and  look  at  me." 

Gladheart  advanced.  He  gazed  for  a  moment,  and 
then  began  to  smile. 

"  Oh,  no,  my  lord,"  he  said  quietly,  "  you  are  not 
a  king."  For  he  observed  that  the  man  was  coarse 
and  ugly,  and  that  only  selfish  thoughts  dwelt  in  his 
mind. 

"  And  why  ? "  asked  the  king  frowningly,  while 
all  the  courtiers  bent  forward  in  eager  listening. 

"  Because,"  said  Gladheart  simply,  longing  to  tell 
the  truth  and  yet  fearing  to  be  rude,  "  you  do  not 
look  like  a  king." 

Now  the  king,  who  had  been  out  hunting  that  day, 
had  killed  nothing  and  was  in  a  bad  humor,  and  he 
bent  forward  and  struck  the  child  across  the  cheek. 
The  blow  was  light,  but  the  shame  and  horror  of  it 
took  away  Gladheart's  breath  and  he  fell  to  the 
ground.  Thereupon  the  king's  servant  carried  him 
outside  the  palace  gates  and  laid  him  under  a  hedge. 


74   HOW  GLADHEART  WENT  TO  COURT 

When  Gladheart  awoke,  he  was  lying  in  his  own 
mother's  garden,  where  he  could  smell  her  balm  and 
lavender. 

"  DroUa,"  he  cried,  seeing  his  little  friend  close  by, 
"  was  it  the  king  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear  child,"  said  the  fairy,  with  a  pitying 
smile. 

"  The  Icing  —  who  struck  me  ?  Drolla,  how  did  I 
get  home  ?  " 

"I  brought  you,  dear  —  my  friends  and  I." 

"Who  told  you?" 

"  The  lark  told  me.  And  now,  Gladheart,  hear  that 
sad  sound.  It  is  your  mother  crying  because  you  have 
been  away  all  night,  and  she  is  afraid  you  may  be 
lost.  Go  to  her  now,  and  to-morrow  you  shall  come 
to  me  under  the  tree  and  I  will  teach  you  wonderful 
things." 

Gladheart  ran  in  and  put  his  arms  about  his  dear 
mother  and  cried  upon  her  breast. 

Thereafter  he  was  content  with  his  simple  life,  and 
went  no  more  to  court. 


•^^^^ 


THE   SHAME  AND   HORROR  OF   IT  TOOK  AWAY   GLADHEART'S   BREATH 


THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON 

NOT  long  ago  there  lived  in  a  cave  full  of  dark 
holes  and  uglj  shadows  an  old  and  feeble 
Dragon,  who  had  nobody  in  the  world  to  take  care 
of  him.  He  was  the  last  of  that  tribe  which  once 
waged  terrible  war  upon  mankind,  and  all  his  rela- 
tions and  friends  had  been  killed  off  by  this  same 
race  of  men,  who  declared  that,  unless  they  did  take 
such  measures,  the  dragons  would  not  only  kill  them 
and  their  wives  and  children,  but  eat  them  into  the 
bargain.  Perhaps  this  w^as  true,  for  the  dragons  had 
never  been  accustomed  to  eat  anything  but  meat,  and 
so  they  felt  actually  obliged  to  supply  themselves, 
two  or  three  times  a  week,  with  a  plump  boy  or  girl 
or  a  well-seasoned  old  lady. 

But  all  those  exciting  days  were  passed;  now  the 
last  Dragon  had  just  strength  enough  to  crawl  slowly 
about,  setting  snares  to  catch  birds  and  rabbits  for  his 
dinner.  So  feeble  was  he  that  you  could  scarcely  have 
terrified  him  more  than  by  inviting  him  to  attack  a 
human  being.  He  w^as  very  lonely  and  unhappy,  and 
would  have  been  far  more  so  except  that  in  a  cave 


76     THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON 

near  by  dwelt  a  Hippogriff  who  was  in  exactly  the 
same  circumstances,  alone,  almost  helpless,  and  the 
last  of  his  race.  The  dragons  and  hippogriffs  had 
once  been  deadly  enemies,  and  two  of  the  animals 
meeting  in  a  forest  path  would  have  torn  each  other 
in  pieces  without  stopping  to  say  "  Good-morning''; 
but  this  pair  had  suffered  so  many  hardships  that  they 
were  only  too  glad  to  forget  old  grievances  and  be- 
come intimate  friends. 

One  morning  the  Dragon  rose  early,  after  a  miser- 
able night,  and  when  he  had  breakfasted  on  a  cold 
crow's  wing,  left  from  yesterday's  dinner,  he  took 
his  cane,  and  crawled  out  into  the  sunshine,  hoping 
to  see  the  Hippogriff.  Sure  enough,  there  sat  his 
friend,  also  sunning  himself,  at  the  door  of  his  own 
cave. 

"  Well,"  said  the  Dragon,  "  what  sort  of  a  night 
have  you  had  ?  " 

" Bad,  bad !"  groaned  the  Hippogriff.  "The  fact 
is,  I  was  too  hungry  to  sleep.  We  can't  stand  this 
much  longer.  A  good  half -ox  or  a  tender  young  calf 
would  set  us  both  up ;  but  we  are  too  weak  to  provide 
for  ourselves.  Our  days  are  numbered." 

"  I  've  been  thinking  it  over  in  the  watches  of  the 
night,"  said  the  Dragon,  "  and  I  've  come  to  the  con- 


THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON     77 

elusion  that  we  'd  better  go  to  the  nearest  village 
and  see  if  we  can't  get  employment,  and  so  be  able 
to  start  a  little  account  at  the  butcher's.  I  think  I 
could  carry  stones  or  bite  down  trees  as  soon  as  I 
get  my  strength  up ;  and  I  know  you  could  sweep  out 
rooms  with  your  tail." 

"  There  's  only  one  trouble,"  said  the  Hippogriff 
thoughtfully.  "  As  soon  as  the  people  saw  us  coming, 
they  would  set  upon  us  and  kill  us  before  listening  to 
a  word." 

"  Men  are  not  what  they  once  were,"  said  the  Dra- 
gon, shaking  his  head  wisely.  "  They  talk  a  great  deal 
more  than  the  knights  we  used  to  know,  and  they  do 
a  great  deal  less.  Get  your  stick,  my  friend,  and  let 
us  start  while  we  still  have  strength  to  crawl  along. 
Trust  me,  it 's  the  only  thing  to  do." 

The  Hippogriff  was  a  little  doubtful,  but  he  had 
the  greatest  confidence  in  his  friend.  The  Dragon 
always  believed  so  firmly  in  himself  that  the  Hip- 
pogriff thought  he  must  have  good  grounds  for 
doing  so,  and  it  would  be  very  silly  not  to  believe  in 
him,  too.  So  he  went  in  for  his  stick,  gave  a  farewell 
look  at  his  cave,  and  then,  taking  the  Dragon's  arm, 
set  off  down  the  hill  that  led  to  the  village. 

"  Shall  we  ever  see  our  homes  again  ?  "  he  murmured, 


78     THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON 

in  a  sad  voice,  after  the  first  half  mile.  "  Alas !  I  am 
afraid  not." 

"  Who  cares  if  we  don't,"  said  the  Dragon,  "  if  we 
get  other  homes  ten  times  as  good  ?  " 

And  as  that  seemed  reasonable,  the  Hippogriff 
said  meekly,  "  You  are  quite  right,"  and  went  stumb- 
ling along  without  further  complaint. 

All  the  forenoon  long  they  journeyed;  and  though 
faint  and  hungry,  they  dared  not  stop,  for  fear  their 
strength  would  desert  them  utterly.  The  steeple  of 
the  village  church  seemed  hardly  nearer  than  in  the 
morning,  and  not  a  soul  did  they  meet  or  pass  upon 
the  way. 

"  I  could  eat  a  caterpillar  with  relish,"  said  the 
Hippogriff,  at  length.  "  O  brother,  think  of  the  good 
old  days  when  we  should  have  scorned  a  caterpillar, 
except  for  dessert,  after  a  hearty  meal  of  a  knight  and 
his  horse." 

"I  don't  think  of  the  good  old  days,"  answered 
the  Dragon,  still  undaunted,  though  he  could  scarcely 
limp  along.  "  I  have  fixed  my  mind  on  the  good  time 
coming,  and  there  I  mean  it  shall  stay." 

They  staggered  on  until  two  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon; and  then,  just  as  they  were  about  to  lie  down 
by  the  roadside  in  utter  despair,  the  Dragon  caught 


THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON    79 

sight  of  something  which  put  new  courage  into  his 
failing  limbs. 

"  Stop ! "  he  whispered,  grasping  the  Hippogriff 's 
arm.  "  Look  over  in  that  field,  and  tell  me  what  you 
see." 

The  Hippogriff  looked. 

"  It 's  a  maiden,"  he  answered, "  sitting  under  a  tree, 
holding  in  her  hand  one  of  those  queer  things  they 
call  books." 

"  We  must  go  over  there  and  talk  with  her,"  said 
the  Dragon.  "  No  doubt  she  can  tell  us  something 
about  the  village  people,  and  we  will  send  her  on  in 
advance  to  announce  our  intentions.  But  we  must 
circle  about,  so  as  to  approach  her  from  the  back.  If 
she  sees  us  coming,  she  will  be  terribly  frightened, 
and  run,  and  we  could  n't  possibly  overtake  her." 

They  climbed  the  fence,  and  began  cautiously  ap- 
proaching the  young  woman,  who  was  really  so  ab- 
sorbed in  reading  a  Greek  play  that  there  was  not  the 
slightest  danger  of  her  seeing  or  hearing  anything. 
Only  once  was  the  silence  broken;  and  then  the  Hip- 
pogriff ventured  timidly,  "  She  would  n't  make  a  bad 
dinner ! " 

"  Hush !  "  said  the  wise  Dragon.  "  That  would  do 
very  well  for  to-day,  but  what  would  become  of  us 


80     THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON 

to-morrow  ?  The  village  people  would  turn  out  in  a 
body,  and  hunt  us  down.  No !  I  have  become  a  law- 
abiding  citizen." 

Meantime  the  young  lady  sat  intently  reading  her 
book,  and  sometimes  consulting  other  volumes;  and, 
when  the  two  travelers  were  within  a  few  feet  of 
her,  the  Dragon  gave  a  delicate  cough.  She  slowly 
turned  her  head  and  saw  them.  The  Hippogriff,  try- 
ing to  look  as  gentle  as  possible,  laid  one  claw  on  his 
heart,  and  made  a  low  bow,  while  the  Dragon  gazed 
at  her  with  a  cheerful  smile.  Still  they  both  expected 
her  to  give  a  blood-curdling  shriek  and  spring  to  her 
feet  in  terror.  It  was  evident  that  they  knew  nothing 
about  this  particular  kind  of  young  woman.  She  set- 
tled her  eye-glasses  firmly  upon  her  nose,  and  looked 
the  creatures  over. 

"  Who  are  you,"  she  asked,  in  a  high,  clear  tone. 
"  Can  you  talk  ?  " 

This  was  very  confusing  to  the  Dragon  and  Hippo- 
griff. The  thought  darted  through  their  minds :  "  If 
a  mere  girl  is  n't  afraid  of  us,  what  can  we  expect 
from  the  village  authorities?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  ma'am,"  said  the  Dragon,  recovering  him- 
self first,  "  we  talk  and  walk  and  eat  (when  we  can 
get  anything).   We  are  not  in  the  least  different  from 


THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON     81 

other  folks,  though  we  may  look  so;  and  that's 
why  we  've  made  up  our  minds  to  move  to  the 
village." 

"  What  are  your  names  ?  " 

"  I  am  a  Dragon,  and  my  friend  here  is  a  Hippo- 
griff." 

A  look  of  joy  flitted  over  the  young  woman's  face. 

"  How  very  interesting !  "  she  cried,  in  a  tone  of  such 
rapture  that  the  Dragon's  spirits  rose  at  once.  "  How 
wonderful  that  such  an  experience  should  be  mine! 
Come,  sit  down  here  on  the  grass  and  tell  me  about 
yourselves." 

The  Dragon  and  the  Hippogriff  were  very  glad  in- 
deed to  sit  down,  and  the  former  es23ecially  was  well 
inclined  to  talk.  He  began  at  the  beginning  of  dragon 
and  hippogriff  history,  and  told  all  he  knew  and  all 
he  had  ever  heard  about  those  remarkable  creatures 
and  their  warfare  with  men.  "When  he  had  finished, 
his  listener  drew  a  breath  of  delight. 

"  This  is  amazing !  "  said  she.  "  I  would  n't  have 
believed  it  if  I  had  n't  heard  it  with  my  own  ears." 

"  But  what  do  you  think  of  our  chances  of  being 
allowed  to  live  in  the  village,  ma'am?"  ventured  the 
Hippogriff. 

"  They  never  would  permit  it  in  the  world,"  she 


82     THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON 

said,  wrinkling  her  brows  in  thought.  "The  very 
sight  of  you  would  frighten  them  to  death." 

"  But  you  are  not  frightened  ? "  suggested  the 
Dragon. 

She  smiled  at  him  loftily. 

"  No,  but  I  am  an  Advanced  Young  Woman.  I 
have  had  a  college  course,  and  none  of  the  village 
folk  are  in  the  least  like  me.  They  would  expect  you 
to  eat  them  up." 

"  But  we  would  promise  not  to,"  urged  the  Hippo- 
griff,  who  was  actually  so  hungry  that  he  could  not 
speak  of  food  without  tears. 

But  the  Advanced  Young  Woman  was  thinking  so 
hard  that  she  took  no  notice  of  him  at  all. 

"  Ah ! "  cried  she  at  length,  in  triumph.  "  I  have  it! 
You  shall  become  vegetarians." 

"  I  will  become  anything  that  is  proper,  ma'am," 
said  the  Dragon  meekly.  "What  sort  of  creatures 
are  they?  I  shouldn't  want  to  give  up  my  tail  and 
my  claws." 

"  You  would  merely  have  to  give  up  eating  meat, 
and  then  of  course  nobody  would  be  afraid  of  you.  It 
will  be  a  most  interesting  experiment.  Perhaps  we 
can  even  modify  your  teeth,  and  make  you  gram- 
inivorous." 


THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON      83 

This  ambition  was  quite  beyond  the  creatures'  com- 
prehension ;  and  so  they  said  nothing,  but  tried  to  look 
wise,  as  people  often  do  who  don't  understand. 

"  Just  over  the  brow  of  this  hill,"  added  the  Ad- 
vanced Young  Woman,  "  is  a  cottage  my  father  built 
me  for  a  study,  so  that  I  might  retire  there  beyond 
the  hearing  of  the  world."  (She  meant  the  village.) 
"  Now  you  shall  go  there  with  me,  and  after  dark,  I 
will  bring  you  some  supper.  You  must  on  no  account 
step  outside  the  door,  and  to-morrow,  immediately 
after  breakfast,  I  will  be  with  you." 

Meanwhile  she  had  packed  her  books  together, 
and,  making  them  into  a  nice  heavy  bundle,  started 
away  over  the  hillside,  driving  the  two  creatures  be- 
fore her;  and  although  she  was  both  slight  and 
young,  they  were  really  quite  afraid  of  her,  and  went 
meekly  stumbling  along,  hand  in  hand. 

"  She  seems  to  take  a  great  interest  in  us,"  whis- 
pered the  Hippogriff,  when  the  Advanced  Young 
Woman  was  occupied  in  unlocking  the  door.  "  She 
must  think  us  very  remarkable." 

"  Hush,"  said  the  Dragon  solemnly.  "  There  is  more 
in  this  than  we  understand." 

And  there  was  1 

"  There,"  said  the  young  woman,  when  she  had 


84     THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON 

ushered  them  into  the  one  large  room  that  occupied 
the  entire  floor  of  the  cottage,  "  now  be  very  quiet 
and  patient.  To  prevent  accidents,  I  think  I  '11  lock 
the  door  on  the  outside." 

And  this  she  did  before  hastening  away. 

When  she  was  fairly  gone,  the  Dragon  and  the 
Hippogriff  looked  about  them.  The  room  was  filled 
with  all  sorts  of  strange  articles,  which  they  had 
never  seen  or  heard  of.  The  walls  were  lined  with 
books;  and  on  the  large  table  there  was  an  inkstand, 
an  unabridged  dictionary,  a  microscope,  a  herbarium, 
an  astrolabe,  a  sextant,  and  other  queer  things  used 
by  Advanced  Young  Women,  but  which  I  don't  in  the 
least  understand,  any  more  than  the  Dragon  and  the 
Hippogriff  did. 

"I  don't  like  this,"  said  the  Hippogriff,  looking 
about  him. 

"  Nor  I,"  said  the  Dragon.  "  But  let 's  wait  until 
she  comes  back,  and  see  what  will  happen." 

Presently  there  was  a  rattling  at  the  door,  and  in 
came  their  hostess  tugging  a  large  pail,  and  looking 
much  excited. 

"  I  've  brought  your  supper,"  said  she  cheerfully. 
"  Oatmeal,  far  more  nutritious  than  meat !  " 

She  poured  the  pudding  into  two  large  dishes,  and 


THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON     85 

placed  it  on  the  floor  before  them,  and  while  they 
tried  to  eat  it,  and  smeared  their  jaws  and  burned 
their  tongues,  she  walked  round  and  round,  studying 
them  from  every  point  of  view. 

"  Vertebrates ! "  she  exclaimed,  adding,  as  she 
paused  beside  the  Dragon,  "Would  it  annoy  you 
it  I  tried  to  count  your  vertebrae  while  you  are 
eating  ?  " 

"  N^ot  at  all,''  said  the  miserable  Dragon,  though 
he  had  no  idea  what  his  vertebras  were.  "  I  believe 
I  won't  take  anything  more  to  eat,  thank  you,  ma'am." 

Then  the  Advanced  Young  Woman  was  perfectly 
happy.  She  pinched  their  backbones  to  see  how  they 
were  made,  counted  their  claws,  and  examined  their 
teeth;  and  the  horrible-looking  animals  were  by  this 
time  so  depressed  that  they  never  thought  of  ob- 
jecting. 

"  Ah  !  "  murmured  she,  "  what  a  precious  privilege, 
and  how  Professor  Cervix  would  envy  me ! "  It  was 
quite  dark  before  she  could  tear  herself  away  from 
them.  "Now,"  said  she,  at  last,  gathering  up  the 
dishes,  "take  a  good  night's  rest,  in  order  to  be 
perfectly  fresh  in  the  morning.  Then  I  intend  to 
sketch  you." 

When  the  sound  of  her  footsteps  had  quite  died 


86     THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON 

away,  the  Hippogriff  looked  at  the  Dragon,  and  gave 
a  hollow  groan. 

"  Are  you  hungry  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  could  eat  a  buffalo,  hide  and  all,"  owned  the 
Dragon  frankly.  "  Still  if  one  were  here  I  should 
try  to  resist  it.  If  it 's  possible  to  become  a  law- 
abiding  vegetarian,  I  'm  the  Dragon  to  do  it." 

"  I  believe  myself  the  stuff  she  gave  us  was  rank 
poison,"  said  the  melancholy  Hippogriff.  "  I  ate  very 
little  of  it,  but  I  feel  extremely  queer." 

"  Wait  till  it  begins  to  nourish  you,"  said  the  hope- 
ful Dragon,  who  felt  quite  as  unsettled  as  his  friend, 
but  had  no  intention  of  showing  it.  "  Remember,  she 
told  us  it  was  far  more  nutritious  than  meat;  and  if 
that  is  true,  we  shall  soon  begin  to  feel  it  in  our  legs 
and  claws.  Now  go  to  sleep,  as  I  shall,  and  make  the 
best  of  it."  So  saying,  he  curled  his  head  under  his 
shoulder,  folded  his  claws,  and  was  soon  far  on  the 
road  to  Dragon  Dreamland. 

Next  morning  the  Advanced  Young  Woman 
reached  the  cottage  by  the  time  the  early  birds  had 
begun  to  charm  away  the  dusk.  She  brought  a  steam- 
ing kettle  of  cracked  wheat,  and  this  she  poured  out 
before  the  two  monsters  with  so  gracious  an  air  that 
they  had  n't  the  heart  to  tell  her  they  hated  the  sight 


THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON     87 

of  it.  Instead  they  each  made  her  a  polite  bow,  and 
tried  with  all  their  might  to  force  a  little  down  their 
unwilling  throats. 

The  young  woman,  however,  never  noticed  how 
hard  a  time  of  it  they  had.  She  was  altogether  too 
busy,  first  in  getting  her  sketching  materials  together, 
and  then  in  drawing  the  outline  of  her  guests  from 
every  point  of  view.  She  sketched  them  sitting,  stand- 
ing and  lying.  She  sketched  their  faces,  their  claws, 
their  tails.  Never,  since  time  began,  had  there  been 
such  an  exhaustive  study  of  dragons  and  hippogriffs. 
She  worked  all  day  long,  forgetting  to  stop  for  din- 
ner; and  the  worst  of  it  was,  the  Hippogriff  thought, 
she  forgot  their  dinner  also,  and  they  languished  un- 
til nightfall  without  even  a  dish  of  oatmeal.  How- 
ever, when  she  went  home,  very  tired,  but  with  an 
undaunted  resolution  still  shining  on  her  brow,  she 
left  them  the  cold  cracked  wheat  for  supper.  That 
night  they  did  not  talk ;  their  terror  of  the  future  was 
too  great. 

Things  went  on  in  this  way  for  a  week,  the  Dragon 
and  the  Hippogriff  trying  to  become  good  vegetari- 
ans, and  growing  w^eaker  every  day,  and  their  hostess 
worrying  them  almost  out  of  their  senses  by  asking 
them  questions  about  their  previous  history,  and,  as 


88     THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON 

the  Hippogriff  said,  trying  to  pry  into  their  family 
affairs.  The  truth  was  that  she  knew  this  to  be  a  splen- 
did opportunity  for  studying  the  habits  of  animals 
which  most  people  consider  fabulous,  and  she  was 
determined  to  make  the  most  of  it. 

"  Now,"  said  she,  on  leaving  them  one  night,  "  I 
hope  you  '11  go  to  bed  early,  for  I  want  you  to  look 
particularly  fresh  to-morrow.  A  dear  friend  of  mine, 
Professor  Cervix,  is  coming  to  see  you,  though  he 
does  n't  in  the  least  suspect  you  are  here.  I  intend  to 
surprise  him,  and  then  we  shall  consult  together  about 
donating  you  to  a  museum." 

"What  is  a  museum?  "  asked  the  Hippogriff  feebly. 

"It  is  a  large  collection  of  animals,  shut  up  in 
cages,"  said  the  Advanced  Young  Woman,  with 
cheerfulness.  "  Good-night.  Don't  give  yourselves 
any  uneasiness.  Whatever  we  decide  upon,  you  need 
take  no  responsibility.   I  will  arrange  everything." 

And  the  worst  of  it  was,  they  knew  she  would.  For 
a  long  time  after  she  was  gone,  they  said  nothing  at 
all;  but  at  last  the  Hippogriff  remarked  solemnly: 
"  A  hundred  years  ago  or  more,  the  fairies  danced 
one  night  on  the  green,  and  we  hippogriff s  lay  in  the 
woods  and  watched  them.  They  were  practicing  the 
Vanishing  Charm." 


THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON     89 

"  I  remember,"  said  the  Dragon,  "  we  dragons  were 
there,  too,  m  the  opposite  wood.  We  meant  to  fall 
upon  you,  and  eat  you  up,  when  the  fairies  were  gone ; 
but  we  got  so  interested  in  their  "Vanishing  Charm 
that  we  forgot  all  about  it.  Do  you  remember  what 
they  sang?" 

"  Perfectly,"  said  the  Hippogriff .  "  Shall  we  try 
it?" 

"  Yes.  I  don't  know  where  we  should  be  after  we 
had  vanished;  but  nothing  could  be  worse  than  this. 
Come,  let 's  begin.   It  may  take  a  long  time." 

So  they  sat  down  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
clasped  claws  in  the  Vanishing  Grip,  and  began 
a  solemn  chant :  — 

"  Criss-cross, 

Gain  is  loss. 
The  gold  in  the  earth  is  nothing  but  dross. 

Heigh  ho ! 

Who  can  know 
But  the  elves  where  the  flowers  of  elf-land  blow ! " 

"My  tail  is  gone!"  said  the  Dragon,  in  an  excited 
whisper. 

" So 's  my  left  ear! "  cried  the  Hippogriff.  "Come, 
faster!" 


90     THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON 

"  If  you  double  under  as  I  double  over, 
Then  lightning  is  thunder  and  redtop  is  clover. 
So  turn  it  about,  now  slow  and  now  fast, 
Till  the  end  is  beginning,  and  middle  is  last." 

"  There  go  my  claws !  "  cried  the  Hippogriff . 

"  And  my  hind  legs !  "  said  the  Dragon.  "  Oh,  how 
comfortable  I  am !  I  have  n't  felt  so  light  since  I  was 
a  baby." 

They  chanted  faster  and  faster:  they  were  wild 
with  joy.  When  the  Hippogriff  felt  his  backbone  go- 
ing, he  gave  an  exultant  shout  to  think  the  Advanced 
Young  Woman  would  never  count  his  vertebrae  again. 
But  that  was  his  last  thought  in  this  world.  The  song 
was  finished,  the  cottage  was  silent;  the  Hippogriff 
and  Dragon  had  vanished. 

Next  morning  the  Advanced  Yoimg  Woman  went 
early  to  her  retreat,  that  she  might  be  sure  the  two 
animals  were  prepared  for  meeting  the  learned  Pro- 
fessor Cervix.  She  opened  the  door  and  looked  in. 
Not  a  trace  of  living  creature  was  to  be  seen.  Even 
her  precious  drawings  had  disappeared:  for  the 
Dragon  had  laid  one  claw  on  them  as  he  chanted  the 
vanishing  words,  and  they  also  had  felt  the  charm. 
But  the  Advanced  Young  Woman,  though  she  was 
disappointed,  felt  no  surprise. 


THE  HIPPOGRIFF  AND  THE  DRAGON     91 

"  Of  course  there 's  no  such  thing, "  said  she. 
^^  They  're  nothing  but  fabulous  monsters.  I  must 
have  dreamed  them." 

But  at  that  very  moment  the  Dragon  and  the  Hip- 
pogriff ,  young  and  strong,  and  no  larger  than  butter- 
flies, were  telHng  their  adventures  to  the  elf  queen, 
who  laughed  over  them  until  her  poppy  throne  swayed 
in  the  breeze. 

"Trouble  yourselves  no  further  about  food  and 
shelter,"  said  she,  when  they  had  finished.  "  For  those 
that  live  in  this  Vanished  Land  need  no  roof  to  cover 
them,  and  honey  dew  is  all  their  food." 


THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS 

IN  the  Land  of  the  Fair  Queens,  it  would  once 
have  been  impossible  to  find  a  single  person  who 
was  not  of  the  highest  nobility.  Kings  and  queens 
were  as  plentiful  there  as  stars  in  the  heavens,  and 
not  a  soul  below  the  rank  of  a  duke  or  duchess  had 
ever  entered  it.  If  any  curious  person  is  anxious  to 
know  how  this  could  be,  he  must  understand  that  all 
these  kings  and  queens  are  such  as  have  reigned  well 
for  a  long  period  of  years,  and  so  are  rewarded  by 
entrance  into  this  lovely  land,  where  they  grow  young 
again  and  remain  so  evermore.  Many  take  with  them 
some  faithful  friend,  a  duke  or  a  prince. 

But,  as  I  said,  no  common  folks  are  admitted.  This 
might  prove  a  very  poor  arrangement  in  some  coun- 
tries, where  common  folks  are  depended  upon  to  do 
common  work;  but  here  there  is  no  such  need.  The 
labor  of  life  is  all  accomplished  by  magic  —  no  one 
knows  how  or  when.  Great  banquets  rise  upon  pol- 
ished tables  whenever  the  kings  and  queens  wish  to 
dine  or  sup.  Spirited  horses  come  trotting  up  to  the 
door,  all  saddled  and  richly  caparisoned,  if  a  king  but 


THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS     93 

shows  a  desire  to  ride.  The  royal  beds  are  always  of 
luxurious  down,  and  the  linen  is  like  snow. 

Although  nobody  knows  how  all  this  work  is  brought 
about,  every  one  is  too  well  bred  to  display  the  least 
curiosity;  and  so  life  goes  tranquilly  on  like  a  gently 
moving  river,  undisturbed  by  effort  or  discontent. 

One  evening  at  sunset,  all  the  kings  and  queens 
with  their  courtiers  were  sitting  together  upon  a 
smooth  green  terrace,  watching  the  sky  of  saffron 
and  rose. 

It  was  a  noble  picture,  that  of  gracious  women  in 
fine  robes,  and  men  who  looked  as  if  they  could  win 
a  battle  or  a  lady's  heart,  resting  in  careless  postures, 
with  a  deep  contentment  on  their  faces,  such  as  is 
never  seen  outside  the  land  of  dreams. 

"  Do  you  ever  feel  a  longing  for  the  other  world  ?  " 
asked  the  golden-haired  Queen  Ilsa  of  King  Olan,  as 
they  sat  somewhat  apart  from  the  others,  under  a 
shade  of  palms,  — "  the  land  where  we  used  to  live 
and  reign?" 

"  No,"  said  King  Olan,  stroking  his  beard  thought- 
fully, "not  precisely  a  longing;  but  I  do  sometimes 
dream  of  a  breath  from  its  roses  and  clover  —  not  so 
sweet  as  the  flowers  of  our  own  country,  but  still 
homely  and  pleasant  because  we  loved  them  once." 


94     THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS 

"  I  see  jou  understand,"  said  Queen  Ilsa,  with  a 
far-away  look  in  her  blue  eyes.  "  I  think  we  should 
all  like  it  if  we  had  just  one  person  from  the  Land  of 
Common  Folks  to  keep  us  in  remembrance  of  those 
old  days.  Why  not  wish  for  such  a  person  ?"  ' 

"  That  would  never  do,"  answered  the  king  de- 
cidedly. "  If  we  wished,  the  person  would  be  among 
us  before  we  could  say  '  Charlemagne,'  and  we  might 
dislike  him  exceedingly.  And  then,  though  we  could 
wish  him  away  again,  we  should  have  been  disturbed 
and  our  happy  tranquillity  broken." 

"  Suppose  we  ask  King  Sonoro,"  said  she,  and  ris- 
ing, they  approached  a  king  whose  beard  was  of  rip- 
pling silver,  and  who,  though  he  looked  now  so  strong 
and  valiant,  had  reigned  sixty  good  years  before  he 
reached  this  lovely  land. 

Then  they  laid  the  matter  before  him,  and  other 
kings  and  queens  drew  near  to  listen,  until  the  terrace 
was  like  a  garden  bed,  blooming  with  rich  raiment 
and  sparkling  with  gems  from  many  crowns. 

"  Oh,  lovely ! "  cried  the  Princess  Honeydrop, 
laughing  and  clapping  her  hands  as  the  new  idea  was 
told  her.  "  How  delightful  to  have  common  folks 
again !  They  are  so  amusing !  I  know  I  should  laugh 
all  day  long." 


THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS    95 

"  They  do  say  odd  things,"  replied  King  Bellasso, 
who  had  been  something  of  a  philosopher  in  his  youth. 
"  They  often  get  nearer  the  root  of  the  matter  than 
they  think." 

Meanwhile  King  Sonoro  had  been  gravely  listening, 
and  when  the  shower  of  exclamations  died  down  fit- 
fully, he  said :  "  I  see  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be 
done.  We  won't  wish ;  we  will  send  Prince  Venture- 
some into  the  Land  of  Common  Folks  to  select  the 
right  person,  and  that  will  make  it  all  the  more  inter- 
esting." 

Then  all  the  ladies  turned  to  Prince  Venturesome, 
begging  him  to  bring  them  back  something  from  his 
journey;  and  all  the  kings  gave  him  so  much  advice 
that  he  felt  sober  indeed,  and  got  away  as  soon  as  he 
could  to  put  on  a  new  doublet  and  make  ready  for 
his  quest. 

"When  he  appeared  again,  brave  in  blue  and  silver, 
with  his  fair  hair  hanging  in  curls  upon  his  shoulders, 
a  great  white  horse,  with  trappings  of  blue  and  silver, 
stood  awaiting  him  near  the  terrace,  and  Prince  Ven- 
turesome sprang  into  the  saddle,  kissed  his  hands  to 
the  queens,  and  rode  away,  the  sim  shining  on  his 
curls. 

It  is  very  easy  to  get  outside  the  Land  of  the  Fair 


96     THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS 

Queens,  though  no  one  had  ever  before  wanted  to  do 
it;  and  in  an  instant,  quick  as  the  thought  that  brought 
him  thither,  the  prince  was  over  the  boundary  and 
in  the  meadow  where  grew  tall  green  grass  and  yel- 
low buttercups. 

"  So  this  is  the  Land  of  Common  Folks !  "  thought 
he,  as  he  looked  about  him,  while  the  white  horse 
trotted  on.  "  It  is  very  much  like  our  country,  only 
everything  is  more  sober.  The  sun  seems  less  bright, 
the  grass  is  not  so  green  and  the  brooks  sing  less  en* 
chantingly.  But  I  like  it." 

Still  the  horse  trotted  gently  through  the  meadow, 
going  wherever  he  would,  and  presently  the  prince 
caught  a  brighter  gleam  than  that  of  the  flowers. 
It  seemed  to  be  a  pile  of  gold,  and  lo !  as  he  rode 
nearer,  it  was  but  the  hair  of  a  maiden  fast  asleep 
by  her  sheep  that  were  feeding  near.  Her  cheeks 
were  like  rose-petals,  just  overspread  with  the  brown 
of  the  nut,  her  lips  were  red  cherries,  and  her  eyes, 
as  she  opened  them,  shone  like  sparkling  blue  lakes. 

"  I  have  found  her !  "  thought  the  prince  exultingly, 
though  he  was  somewhat  disappointed  at  having  his 
search  so  quickly  over.  "If  I  take  her  back  with 
me,  surely  their  Majesties  will  say  I  have  done 
well." 


THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS     97 

"  Tell  me,"  he  said,  taking  off  his  cap,  "  whether 
you  will  go  with  me  to  the  Land  of  the  Fair 
Queens  ?  " 

The  lovely  shepherdess  was  on  her  feet  in  a  mo- 
ment, and  her  eyes  gleamed. 

"  I  have  heard  of  that  country,"  said  she.  "  They 
say  no  one  works  there,  and  everybody  wears  silk 
and  feeds  on  whipped  cream.  Is  it  true  ?  " 

"Yes,  that  is  all  true;  and  those  that  live  there 
need  some  common  body  to  dwell  beside  them  in  a 
commonplace  way  and  remind  them  of  old  days." 

"  Am  I  to  be  that  common  body  ?  "  said  the  shep- 
herdess, an  ugly  frown  appearing  on  her  smooth 
forehead.  "  Should  I  not  wear  silk,  and  be  a  queen  ?  " 

"N'o.  You  would  be  just  what  you  are  now;  but 
we  should  all  love  you,  and  you  would  love  us  and 
teach  us  to  cherish  sweet  old  memories." 

The  shepherdess  hesitated  and  bit  her  nails. 

"  Yes,"  she  said  at  length,  "  I  '11  go.  You  may  not 
mean  to  give  me  good  clothes,  but  I  dare  say  I  can 
make  over  some  of  the  queens'  old  dresses,  and  look 
as  well  as  the  best." 

Now  the  prince  felt  that  this  would  never  do;  but 
as  he  was  very  polite,  he  continued  the  conversation. 

"  Do  you  live  alone  ?  "  he  asked. 


98     THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS 

"  No,  I  live  with  my  father." 

"  If  you  should  go  away,  how  could  he  get  along 
without  you  ?  " 

"  He  could  get  along  exactly  as  he  pleased,"  said 
the  shepherdess  tartly.  "  I  never  have  had  any  of  the 
things  I  wanted  in  my  life.  I  need  a  looking-glass,  a 
blue  dress,  and  a  set  of  beads  for  my  neck,  and  I  shall 
go  with  anybody  that  will  give  them  to  me." 

The  prince  whispered  one  word  in  his  horse's  ear 
and  away  they  flew,  leaving  the  meadow  far  behind. 
And  to  this  day  the  shepherdess,  now  an  old  woman, 
is  listening  with  all  her  might,  hoping  in  vain  for  the 
prince  to  come. 

"  It  is  terrible,"  thought  he.  "  But  no  doubt  she  is 
an  imusually  selfish  girl.  There  can't  be  many  like 
her.  Now  this  young  wood-chopper  who  is  making 
the  chips  fly  at  such  a  rate  looks  like  an  honest  fel- 
low. I  '11  try  him.  Sir  Wood-Chopper,"  he  called, 
as  his  horse  stopped  by  the  tree,  "  are  you  a  happy 
man?" 

The  wood-chopper  ceased  working,  leaned  on  his 
axe  and  looked  at  him  scornfully. 

"  What  a  question !  "  he  cried.  "  No,  I  should  be 
ashamed  to  say  I  was  happy  in  such  a  world  as 
this." 


THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS     99 

"  Poor  fellow !  don't  you  have  enough  to  eat  and 
wear?" 

"  Yes,  by  working  for  it,"  replied  the  man  sulkily. 

"And  do  you  not  like  to  work?" 

"Not  while  fellows  no  better  than  I  are  riding 
round  on  white  horses  with  silver  trimmings." 

This  time  it  required  no  word  from  the  prince  to 
start  the  white  horse  onward,  and  many  a  mile  had 
been  east  behind  them  before  they  forgot  the  wood- 
chopper's  crusty  face. 

The  day  passed,  and  the  prince  had  talked  with 
many  people.  He  could  find  plenty  who  were  willing 
and  glad  to  seek  the  Land  of  the  Fair  Queens,  but 
none  who  were  neither  grumbling  nor  greedy.  One 
man  would  go  if  he  could  be  given  a  contract  to  sup- 
ply the  royal  palaces  with  ammunition  to  repel  inva- 
sion; and  when  the  prince  told  him  that  no  war  ever 
entered  that  domain,  he  remarked  that  it  was  his  busi- 
ness to  make  ammunition,  and  he  had  no  doubt  he 
could  stir  up  some  sort  of  quarrel  even  there.  An- 
other would  pack  his  trunk  at  once  if  he  could  be  paid 
at  the  rate  of  an  ounce  of  gold  an  hour,  and  held  off 
obstinately  in  hope  of  making  a  better  bargain ;  and 
most  of  the  women  wanted  to  know  what  title  would 
be  given  them,  because  they  did  not  propose  entering 


100     THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS 

a  land  of  queens  and  taking  any  inferior  rank.  So 
at  nightfall  the  prince  had  not  succeeded,  and  he  lay 
down  to  sleep  with  the  white  horse  waiting  beside 
him. 

Day  dawned,  and  as  he  rode  on  again  he  came  pre- 
sently to  the  cave  of  a  hermit,  a  grizzled  man,  who  sat 
warming  himself  in  the  sun. 

"  A  pleasant  morning !  "  called  the  prince,  reining 
in  his  horse. 

"  Pooh !  "  growled  the  hermit.  "  Why  do  you  make 
such  a  fuss  about  it  ?  I  see  no  reason  why  we  should  n't 
have  pleasant  mornings.  That 's  nothing  to  be  thank- 
ful for." 

"  Is  n't  anybody  thankful  in  this  strange  country  ?  " 
the  prince  sorrowfully  asked. 

'^  Yes,"  returned  the  hermit,  "  one.  There  is  an  old 
woman  in  that  little  hovel  down  there.  She  is  so  con- 
tented she  is  almost  a  fool.  I  'm  worn  out  with  her 
perpetual  thankfulness;  the  very  sight  of  her  roof 
makes  me  sick." 

'^  Tell  me  about  her ! "  called  the  prince  eagerly. 
"  Is  she  always  contented  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  believe  so;  she  hasn't  sense  enough  to 
be  anything  else.  Day  before  yesterday  her  pig  ran 
away,  and  she  said  she  could  n't  blame  him  for  wanting 


1    > 

,3       1 


THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMM.OJ^  I^OLKS    lOi 

to  see  the  world.  And  when  he  was  driven  back,  she 
gave  him  new  milk  for  supper  because  it  seemed  so 
pleasant  to  see  him  in  the  pen  again.  Yesterday  some- 
body stole  a  gold  piece  from  her  and  she  only  said, 
*  Poor  soul !  I  hope  it  will  do  him  good ! '  We  have 
no  patience  with  her,  any  of  us. " 

Away  sprang  the  white  horse,  and  in  a  moment  he 
had  trotted  up  to  the  hovel,  where,  before  the  door, 
sat  the  cleanest  of  old  women  in  a  blue  linen  dress 
and  a  starched  apron.  Her  face  was  withered  and 
thin,  but  it  was  very  sweet. 

"  Dear  me !  "  cried  she,  as  the  prince  sprang  from 
his  saddle.  "What  a  lovely  gentleman  and  what  a 
noble  horse !  " 

"  Madam,"  began  the  prince  at  once,  "  I  see  your 
cottage  is  full  of  holes.  Would  you  like  to  have  it 
mended  ? " 

"I  might  like  it,  but  a  great  many  other  people 
have  no  cottages  at  all.  I  am  fond  of  fresh  air  my- 
self, and  these  holes  let  in  a  good  deal.  If  your 
Highness  has  anything  to  give,  let  those  have  it  that 
need  it  most." 

"Would  you  like  to  dress  in  silk  all  the  rest  of 
your  life  ?  " 

The  little  old  woman  smiled. 


102   'THE. LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS 

"  What  a  funny  gentleman  !  "  quoth  she.  "  Silk  ? 
No,  it  crackles  so  I  can't  abide  it.  Linen  is  the  thing 
for  me." 

"  Do  you  care  to  wear  a  crown  ?  " 

N"ow  the  little  old  woman  laughed  outright,  and 
taking  off  her  spotless  cap,  she  pointed  to  her  thin 
gray  hair. 

"  Should  n't  I  look  funny  ?  "  asked  she,  and  polite 
as  he  was,  the  prince  did  have  to  laugh. 

Then  he  sat  down  and  told  the  old  woman  exactly 
what  he  was  seeking,  and  she  listened  with  the  great- 
est interest. 

"And  the  pretty  queens  want  somebody  to  knit 
their  stockings  and  brush  their  hair!  "  she  said.  "Bless 
them.  Of  course,  I  '11  go —  if  only  I  may  take  my  pig 
and  cat  with  me." 

So  Prince  Venturesome  told  her  again  that  she 
need  only  live  her  own  quiet  life  and  keep  her  little 
black  tea-kettle  boiling  on  the  fire,  as  she  did  in  her 
present  home,  in  order  to  make  everybody  happy. 

"And  am  I  to  be  given  so  much  and  do  nothing 
for  it  ?"  she  cried.  "  Well,  I  'm  of  no  use  to  anybody 
here,  and  if  others  need  me  I  '11  gladly  go." 

Then  the  prince  lifted  her  on  his  horse  and  mounted 
also,  telling  her  at  the  same  time  to  trust  her  pig  and 


THE  LAND  WITHOUT  COMMON  FOLKS     103 

cat  to  him.  In  another  moment  they  were  over  the 
boundary  and  in  the  Land  of  the  Fair  Queens,  where 
they  found  the  eat  and  pig  waiting  for  them,  bristhng 
with  surprise.  They  rode  up  to  the  terrace,  and  the  Httle 
old  woman  was  amazed  as  never  woman  was  before : 
for  a  great  king  Hfted  her  from  her  seat,  and  queens 
came  forward  and  put  their  arms  about  her  neck. 

"She  is  hke  my  old  nurse!"  cried  one;  and  they 
all  loved  and  cherished  her  because  she  was  sweet 
and  homely,  like  the  mint  and  balm  from  old-fashioned 
gardens. 

And  though  the  prince  gave  the  ladies  the  butter- 
cups he  had  brought  from  the  meadows,  not  one  word 
would  he  tell  concerning  his  adventures.  Yet  it  was 
noticed  that  he  was  ever  after  sadder  than  the  other 
dwellers  in  that  lovely  land. 


THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  very  quarrelsome 
country,  and  it  was  always  having  disputes  with 
its  neighbors.  Now  the  king  of  this  country  had  grown 
tired  of  reigning. 

^'Really,"  said  he,  "I  think  I  must  take  a  vaca- 
tion." 

So  he  called  his  family  together,  all  but  one  second 
cousin,  who  was  busy  making  jelly,  and  took  them 
away  to  the  Islands  of  the  Golden  Star;  and  there  they 
were  so  happy  for  the  space  of  three  months  and  one 
day  that  they  determined  to  continue  their  vacation  as 
long  as  they  lived. 

"  The  king  is  having  such  a  delightful  time,  eating 
plums  and  playing  football,"  said  the  messenger  his 
Majesty  sent  back  to  the  court  officers,  "  that  he  has 
decided  never  to  reign  any  more ;  and  all  his  children 
and  nephews  and  nieces  have  also  begged  to  be  ex- 
cused from  succeeding  him." 

"But  who  will  reign?"  cried  the  lord  chancellor, 
shaking  his  head  till  the  powder  flew  from  it  in  clouds. 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  the  messenger,  making 


THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN  105 

his  bow,  and  backing  out  of  the  council.  "And  the 
late  king  says  he  does  n't  care.  And,  if  your  highness 
pleases,  I  am  in  a  great  hurry  myself  to  get  back  to 
the  Islands  of  the  Golden  Star,  to  go  on  with  my  own 
vacation." 

Then  he  ran  away  as  fast  as  his  legs  could  carry 
him,  and  presently  they  saw  his  little  boat  making  sail 
out  of  the  harbor. 

"  What  is  to  be  done?  "  asked  the  lord  chancellor; 
and  the  keeper  of  the  two  hundred  seals  also  cried, 
"  What  is  to  be  done  ?  " 

"  The  only  member  of  the  king's  family  left  here  is 
his  second  cousin.  Countess  Brigitta,"  said  the  court 
genealogist.  "  Of  course,  we  shall  be  obliged,  accord- 
ing to  the  law  of  succession,  to  offer  her  the  crown." 

They  were  all  greatly  relieved  to  find  the  matter 
settled  by  such  simple  means;  and  so  they  polished  up 
the  crown  until  it  shone  anew,  placed  it  on  a  silken 
cushion,  and  bore  it  away  to  the  house  of  the  Countess 
Brigitta,  whom  they  found  sitting  on  the  front  steps, 
paring  apples. 

"  Good  afternoon,"  said  she,  as  they  came  up  in 
solemn  procession.  "  Do  take  seats.  But,  my  stars  and 
blue  ribbons !  What  are  you  doing  with  the  crown  ?  " 

"  We  beg  your  acceptance  of  it,  madam,"  said  the 


106  THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN 

lord  chancellor  pompously,  laying  the  cushion  at  her 
feet. 

Then  he  went  on  to  tell  her  what  had  happened,  and 
that  it  was  really  her  duty  to  become  queen. 

As  he  continued,  the  Countess  Brigitta  grew  more 
and  more  sober;  and  when  he  had  finished,  she  laid 
down  her  paring-knife  among  the  apples,  saying  sor- 
rowfully :  "  Well,  what  must  be,  must;  but  it  seems  to 
me  I  shall  be  a  very  poor  sort  of  queen.'' 

"  That  may  be,  your  Majesty,"  said  the  court  truth- 
teller.  "  But  poor  queens  are  not  at  all  uncommon." 

"  And  I  am  neither  handsome  nor  majestic,"  added 
she. 

"Yery  true,  your  Majesty!"  said  the  truth-teller; 
"  but  the  gems  in  a  crown  sparkle  so  brightly  that  it  is 
hard  for  the  sharpest  sight  to  tell  what  is  underneath." 

"  And  there  is  actually  nothing  agreeable  to  me  in 
the  idea  of  reigning,  except,  perhaps,  the  privilege  of 
eating  bread  and  honey  in  the  kitchen." 

"  That  has  been,  from  time  immemorial,  a  royal  pre- 
rogative," said  the  lord  chancellor,  bowing. 

And  seeing  from  all  their  faces  that  there  was  no 
hope  for  her,  the  Countess  Brigitta  placed  the  crown 
on  her  head,  locked  up  her  cottage,  and  calling  the  cat 
and  dog,  walked  away  to  be  queen. 


THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN  107 

For  several  weeks  affairs  went  on  very  well,  for 
even  a  kingdom  can  take  care  of  itself  for  some  time 
after  it  has  once  been  wound  up  and  set  going;  but 
one  morning,  when  the  queen  had  settled  herself  with 
her  knitting  in  a  little  rocking-chair  she  kept  beside 
the  throne,  the  minister  of  war  came  in,  and  told  her 
that  an  ambassador  had  arrived  from  a  neighboring 
kingdom,  to  find  out  when  it  would  be  convenient  for 
the  two  nations  to  begin  fighting. 

"But  what  on  earth  do  they  want  to  fight  for?" 
asked  the  queen,  laying  down  her  knitting,  and  look- 
ing at  him  over  the  top  of  her  spectacles. 

"  Your  Majesty,  it  has  been  our  custom  to  go  to  war 
with  somebody  every  six  weeks,"  said  the  minister; 
"  and  this  time  it  is  the  turn  of  King  Columba's  sub- 
jects to  fight  us.  If  they  had  not  come  to  arrange  pre- 
liminaries, to-morrow  we  should  have  been  obliged  to 
seek  them.  Surely,  your  Majesty  remembers  that  the 
late  king,  your  second  cousin,  was  always  going  to 
war?" 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  said  the  queen;  "  but  I  never  thought 
he  liked  it.  Well,  send  the  ambassadors  in  here." 
And  she  rolled  up  her  knitting,  pushed  the  little 
rocking-chair  out  of  sight,  and  clambered  up  on  the 
throne. 


108  THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN 

"  Something  is  due  to  public  opinion,"  thought  the 
queen,  sitting  up  straight,  and  trying  to  look  as  ma- 
jestic as  she  could. 

Presently  a  great  clanking  was  heard,  and  the  am- 
bassadors, all  in  armor,  entered,  and  bowed  before  her. 

"How-dy'-do?"  said  the  queen.  "How  very  un- 
comfortable you  must  be  in  all  that  tin-ware!  Do 
take  it  off,  and  make  yourselves  at  home." 

The  ambassadors  looked  at  one  another  in  surprise; 
but  the  armor  was  hot  and  heavy,  and  their  leader 
answered :  "  If  your  Majesty  would  permit  us  to  retire 
into  the  antechamber,  your  Majesty's  request  shall  be 
obeyed." 

"  That 's  right,"  said  the  queen.  "Let  us  all  be  com- 
fortable as  long  as  we  can.  You  may  be  queens — no, 
kings  —  some  time ;  and  then  you  can't.  Take  my 
word  for  that." 

So  they  clanked  out  of  the  room,  and  soon  returned 
in  their  every-day  clothing. 

"  There !  now  you  look  more  at  your  ease,"  said  the 
queen.  "  I  've  ordered  a  cup  of  tea  since  you  've  been 
gone.  Be  it  at  wedding  or  funeral,  we  're  always  the 
better  for  a  cup  of  tea." 

She  poured  the  tea,  and  the  ambassadors  accepted 
and  drank  it,  though,  as  they  afterwards  confessed, 


THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN  109 

* 
they  were  so  amazed  at  this  pecuhar  queen  that  their 

legs  were  weak  for  hours. 

Queen  Brigitta  chatted  so  pleasantly  that  it  was 
some  time  before  they  could  broach  their  errand;  but, 
finally,  one  of  them  seized  a  chance  to  say:  ^'Your 
Majesty,  our  royal  master,  King  Columba,  has  sent  us 
to  declare  war  upon  your  kingdom." 

"  So  I  hear,"  said  the  queen  frankly.  "  What  does 
he  want  to  do  that  for?" 

Now  it  was  illegal  in  those  countries  to  go  to  war 
without  an  excuse;  and  so  it  had  become  their  custom 
to  seize  upon  some  pretext,  which  no  one  ever  thought 
of  disputing,  and  immediately  begin  to  fight  about  it. 

"Your  Majesty,"  said  the  ambassador, "  one  of  your 
subjects  has  declared  that  the  lobsters  on  our  coast 
have  no  claws,  and  that  is  an  insult  we  cannot  brook." 

"  Why,  he  must  be  a  fool  if  he 's  said  such  a  thing  as 
that!  "  cried  the  queen.  '^  Of  course,  they  have  claws ! 
You  can  tell  your  master  I  'm  very  sorry  I  Ve  got  such 
a  siily  fellow  in  my  kingdom;  and,  if  I  can  find  him, 
I  '11  set  him  to  studying  natural  history." 

The  ambassadors  looked  at  one  another  in  despair. 

"  So  that 's  all  settled,"  said  the  queen  briskly ;  "  and 
now  we  can  enjoy  ourselves.  Have  another  cup  of  tea?  " 

When  the  ambassadors  presently  took  their  leave, 


no  THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN 

they  were  completely  dazed.  For  the  first  time  in  their 
lives  they  had  disobeyed  orders,  and  failed  to  declare 
war;  and  it  was  with  fear  and  trembling  that  they 
went  into  the  presence  of  King  Columba,  and  told  him 
exactly  what  had  happened.  Fortunately  for  them,  the 
king  dearly  loved  a  joke,  and  he  roared  with  laughter 
till  the  walls  rang. 

"  Ha !  ha ! "  cried  he.  "  Queens  must  have  changed 
since  my  day.  I  '11  ride  over  there  and  take  a  look  at 
her  Majesty." 

And  the  ambassadors  thanked  their  stars  that  he 
did  not  order  them  to  the  block. 

After  this  Queen  Brigitta  received  another  declar- 
ation of  war,  this  time  from  a  king  who  stated  that 
one  of  his  subjects  had  been  beaten  and  ill-used  by 
one  of  hers ;  but  the  queen  grew  very  indignant,  and 
threw  her  offending  subject  into  prison,  while  she  sent 
the  invalid  jelly  and  gruel  and  broth  and  oysters. 

"  I  'm  ashamed  of  such  carryings-on ! "  she  said 
heartily  to  the  ambassadors.  "  You  tell  your  king  so, 
with  my  compliments." 

And  who  could  insist  on  fighting  after  that  ? 

Another  sovereign  proposed  to  besiege  her  capital, 
because  she  had  in  her  possession  some  territory  which 
belonged  to  him. 


THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN  111 

"  Is  this  so  ?  "  asked  Queen  Brigitta  of  her  prime 
minister.  "  Have  we  taken  land  that  does  n't  belong 
tons?" 

"  Yes,  your  Majesty/'  answered  he.  "  "We  have  held 
it  for  over  two  hundred  years ;  and  thanks  to  our  good 
swords,  we  shall  hold  it  always." 

"  No,  we  shan't,"  said  the  queen,  setting  her  lips 
tight,  "  not  while  I  am  queen.  You  just  make  out  the 
papers,  or  whatever  you  have  to  do,  and  give  that 
territory  back  this  minute  !  " 

And  though  all  her  ministers  were  angry  in  their 
hearts,  they  dared  not  disobey ;  and  the  stolen  province 
was  restored.  Then  there  was  great  rejoicing  in  the 
land  which  had  formerly  held  it.  Queen  Brigitta's 
name  was  daily  croAvned  with  blessings;  and  the  people 
charged  their  children  never,  so  long  as  time  should 
last,  to  fight  with  the  subjects  of  so  just  a  sovereign. 

Meanwhile  King  Columba  had  not  given  up  his 
purpose  of  meeting  her,  and  one  day  he  sent  a  mes- 
senger to  say  he  would  make  her  a  little  visit. 

"  Delightful !  "  cried  the  queen,  who  was  so  good  a 
housekeeper  that  she  loved  to  have  company.  "  And 
I  '11  invite  all  the  other  kings  round  here." 

Now  many  of  these  sovereigns  had  deadly  quarrels 
with  one  another,  and  had  formerly  kept  at  the  great- 


112  THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN 

est  possible  distance  apart,  except  upon  the  battle- 
field ;  but  as  none  knew  the  others  were  coming,  they 
all  promptly  assembled  in  Queen  Brigitta's  palace  at 
the  appointed  time.  In  deference  to  their  hostess, 
they  of  course  banished  all  idea  of  present  hostilities, 
and  followed  her  to  the  banqueting-hall  with  as  good 
grace  as  they  could  summon.  Still,  their  thoughts 
were  bitter;  but  whenever  the  queen  noticed  a  frown 
on  any  of  their  brows,  she  would  bustle  up  to  one 
and  another,  saying :  "  I  'm  afraid  there  's  something 
you  don't  like.  Is  the  meat  underdone  ?  or  does  it 
need  a  bit  of  mint  sauce  ?  " 

And  everybody  was  ashamed  to  seem  quarrelsome, 
though  each  one  thought  within  himself,  —  ''I  '11  settle 
with  him  by  and  by ! " 

The  queen's  guests  stayed  with  her  seven  days, 
and  every  minute  they  grew  more  good-humored  and 
merry.  Queen  Brigitta  had  a  great  deal  to  talk  about. 
She  wanted  them  to  help  her  plan  a  hospital  and  places 
where  little  children  could  run  about  and  play  the 
games  they  loved  best. 

"  For  of  course  we  must  keep  ourselves  very  busy 
working  for  our  subjects,"  she  said.  "  They  're  so  kind 
to  dress  us  so  well  and  give  us  so  much  bread  and 
honey ! " 


THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN  113 

And  the  other  kings  and  queens,  who  had 
thought  always  of  their  own  pleasure  before  the 
good  of  the  people,  hung  their  heads  and  were 
ashamed. 

On  the  last  day,  as  they  sat  together,  the  queen 
proposed  that  they  should  all  meet  in  like  manner 
once  a  year. 

"  For  I  need  you  to  advise  me,"  she  said.  "  You 
must  have  seen  that  I  don't  in  the  least  know  how  to 
reign.  I  'm  not  a  bit  wise,  and  all  I  can  do  is  to  try 
not  to  harm  anybody.  I  beg  you  won't  go  to  war  with 
me,"  she  added, "  because  there  will  never  be  any  need 
of  it.  If  any  of  my  subjects  should  injure  yours,  you 
just  tell  me,  and  I'll  make  them  apologize;  and  if 
anybody  harms  me  unintentionally,  I  shall  be  delighted 
to  forgive  him." 

So  all  these  kings  and  queens  joined  hands,  and 
swore  a  solemn  truce,  after  which  they  promised  to 
meet  once  a  year  to  talk  over  the  good  of  their  sub- 
jects. They  also  planned  to  keep  their  soldiers  busy 
in  teaching  gymnastics  to  the  children  and  carrying 
burdens  for  the  old  and  weak. 

When  Queen  Brigitta's  council  saw  that  other  sov- 
ereigns approved  of  her,  they,  too,  began  to  grow 
very  well  satisfied. 


114  THE  UNAMBITIOUS  QUEEN 

''  To  be  sure  she  does  n't  know  how  to  reign," 
they  confessed  to  one  another,  in  the  privacy  of  the 
council  chamber.  "  But  then,  she  can't  do  much 
harm,  with  us  always  at  hand  to  keep  things  in  run- 
ning order." 


THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY 

THE  Princess  Melita  sat  by  the  window  of  her 
bower,  looking  out  on  the  Sunset  Lake.  There 
was  a  frown  between  her  lovely  brows,  and  she 
drummed  with  one  white  hand  on  the  window  ledge. 
She  was  out  of  humor,  and  no  one  could  please  her. 
Now  in  that  kingdom,  ill-humor  was  looked  upon  as 
a  kind  of  disease,  so  that  whenever  a  person  gave 
way  to  it  he  was  spoken  of  as  ill,  and  medicine  was 
prescribed  for  him. 

It  was  not  long  before  news  spread  over  the  castle 
that  the  Princess  Melita  was  very  ill  indeed ;  and 
when  it  reached  her  father,  the  king,  he  at  once  sent 
three  of  the  thirty  court  physicians  to  visit  her.  They 
went  tiptoeing  into  her  room,  but  in  the  space  of 
half  an  hour  they  came  hurriedly  out,  and  proceeded 
to  make  their  report  to  the  king. 

^'Is  there  anything  dangerous  in  my  daughter's 
symptoms?"  asked  his  Majesty,  anxiously,  hurrying 
into  the  chair  of  state,  and  clapping  on  his  crown:  for 
he  was  an  ease-loving  king,  who  liked  to  loll  about 
when  no  one  was  by. 


116  THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY 

"Very  dangerous,  your  Majesty,"  said  the  head 
physician  solemnly,  as  he  bowed  to  the  ground. 

"  Dear  me  !  "  cried  the  king.  "What  does  she  com- 
plain of  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  your  Majesty.  In  fact,  one  of  the  symp- 
toms of  her  disease  is  an  Ominous  Silence.  Do  you 
not  agree  with  me,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  other 
two,  "  that  it  should  be  classed  under  the  head  of  an 
Ominous  Silence  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly,"  replied  they  in  concert,  "  combined 
with  Intermittent  and  Crusty  RepHes." 

"  This  is  serious,"  said  the  king.  "  Such  a  healthy 
princess  as  she  has  been  for  eighteen  years  !  Well, 
what  do  you  prescribe  ?  " 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  the  first  physician,  "  amuse- 
ment. If  that  fails,  occupation." 

So  the  king  instantly  dispatched  the  court  fool  to 
his  daughter's  apartment,  with  orders  to  rehearse  his 
newest  tricks  and  utter  his  latest  quips  and  jokes; 
but  the  princess  only  looked  up  when  the  jester  en- 
tered, and  pointed  to  the  door :  upon  which,  being  a 
wise  fool,  he  turned  about  and  left  her. 

Then  the  wise  woman  was  summoned,  who  knew 
stories  of  what  had  been  before  the  earth  was  created; 
and  she  entered  the  princess's  bower  bearing  a  scroll 


''A 
I— I 
» 

s 

c 
w 

Pi 
I— I 


o 

Q 
W 
O 

o 
Pi 
Pi 


THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY  117 

of  curious  characters,  from  which  she  alone  could  read 
strange  tales  of  all  the  things  that  had  ever  happened. 

But  the  princess  only  said,  with  a  deepening  scowl : 
"  Leave  me  and  take  your  foolish  stories  with  you !  " 

After  this,  wonderful  singers,  who  knew  the  songs 
of  the  brooks  and  the  whisper  of  leaves  and  the  voice 
of  the  nightingale,  assembled  at  her  door,  and  danc- 
ers who  could  float  like  the  snowflake  or  swim  like 
the  swallow ;  but  Melita  would  have  none  of  them. 

So  the  doctors,  putting  their  wise  heads  together, 
said:  ^^She  must  have  occupation." 

It  is  perhaps  time  to  tell  what  was  really  the  mat- 
ter with  the  Princess  Melita.  She  was  actually  tired 
of  happiness,  and  longed  to  be  miserable,  if  only  for 
a  change.  She  was  tired  of  being  beautiful,  and  find- 
ing her  bed  of  rose-leaves  and  her  food  of  cream  and 
honey;  and  most  of  all  she  was  tired  of  having  people 
love  and  praise  her  all  day  long. 

When  the  court  physicians  had  concocted  their 
prescription,  it  read  something  like  this :  — 

Canvas    .....    2  ells 

Silk 8oz. 

Needles    ....        6 
Take  constantly  until  symptoms  abate. 


118  THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY 

It  was  a  very  heroic  remedy:  for  this  particular 
court  was  an  idle  one,  and  tapestry  represented  the 
most  serious  sort  of  occupation.  A  trusty  messenger 
was  sent  to  a  merchant  with  the  slip  of  paper,  and 
came  running  back  in  haste  with  a  bundle  of  silks 
and  canvas.  This  he  delivered  to  the  ladies-in-wait- 
ing, and  they,  bearing  a  tiny  thimble  and  these  gayly 
colored  threads  and  fabrics,  opened  Melita's  door. 

"  Will  it  please  your  Highness  to  sew  ?  "  they  asked, 
with  weak  little  voices;  for,  though  she  had  always 
been  the  sweetest  of  noble  ladies,  disease  had  sadly 
altered  her. 

"Yes,  it  will  please  me,"  answered  the  princess, 
with  a  wicked  gleam  in  her  eyes.  "  I  will  work  a  piece 
of  tapestry,  and  it  shall  hang  in  the  palace  of  the 
prince  who  shall  wed  me."  And  as  she  threaded  her 
needle,  she  thought,  in  her  ill-humor :  "  I  will  make  the 
most  hideous  piece  of  tapestry  ever  known,  and  see 
if  these  people  who  flatter  me  day  after  day  do  not 
call  it  lovely." 

Then  she  set  to  work,  and,  being  swift  with  her 
needle,  in  a  few  hours  she  had  designed  the  ugliest 
square  of  tapestry  to  be  imagined.  It  had  a  bright- 
green  sky  and  purple  grass.  From  a  blue  castle  led 
an  alley  bordered  by  scarlet  trees,  and  down  the  alley 


THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY  119 

walked  crabs  and  lobsters,  dodos  and  griffins,  arm  in 
arm.  It  was  enough  to  make  the  boldest  shudder. 

When  the  princess  had  partly  completed  it,  she 
began  to  display  it  to  every  one,  with  a  great  show 
of  pride  in  its  beauty. 

"  Is  it  not  lovely  ?  "  she  said  to  her  ladies;  and  they, 
fearing  to  speak  the  truth  to  her  in  her  bitter  mood, 
would  echo  faintly :  "  Most  lovely !  " 

Then  the  princess  would  laugh,  and  day  by  day 
her  illness  increased. 

About  this  time  it  became  known  throughout  the 
neighboring  kingdoms  that  the  Princess  Melita  was 
old  enough  to  marry,  and  many  princes  curled  their 
locks,  donned  their  bravest  attire,  and  came  on  pranc- 
ing steeds  to  ask  her  hand. 

One  morning,  when  she  was  working  into  her  tap- 
estry a  hideous  animal  which  she  had  dreamed  out  the 
night  before,  forty-nine  stalwart  young  princes  rode 
into  the  courtyard  and  lifted  their  plumed  hats,  bend- 
ing low  as  they  passed. 

"  Aha !  "  thought  the  princess, "  if  you  are  no  better 
than  my  father's  courtiers,  not  one  of  you  will  I 
choose,  but  rather  some  obscure  road-mender,  who 
will  not  tell  me  lies." 

All  day  she  sat  in  her  bower,  working ;  but  as  night 


120  THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY 

fell,  the  king  sent  word  that  she  must  don  the  finest 
ofown  she  had  and  descend  to  the  cedar  hall  to  enter- 
tain  his  guests. 

When  the  Princess  Melita  appeared  in  the  great 
room  that  evening,  not  all  the  reverence  felt  for  her 
by  the  forty-nine  young  princes  could  restrain  the 
low  hum  of  admiration  at  her  entrance.  She  was 
dressed  in  a  long,  soft  robe  of  white  that  swept  the 
floor,  and  everything  about  her  was  white,  save  her 
blue  eyes,  her  rosy  cheeks  and  lips,  and  her  golden 
girdle  and  golden  hair. 

One  daring  youth  hurried  forward  and  led  her  to  her 
seat;  and  so  beautiful  was  she  that  he  could  not  help 
whispering:  "  Princess,  fairest  of  all,  I  love  you!  " 

Melita  flushed,  cast  down  her  eyes,  and  seated  her- 
self in  the  little  chair  that  was  always  placed  for  her 
beside  her  father's  throne.  There  she  sat  for  a  few 
moments  in  sweet  confusion,  knowing  that  she  would 
have  to  make  choice  of  a  prince,  and  looking  most 
womanly  and  lovely. 

Then  of  a  sudden  her  disease  returned,  her  eyes 
sparkled,  and  she  whispered  to  a  lady-in-waiting: 
"  Bring  me  my  tapestry !  " 

And  when  the  fabric  was  placed  in  her  hand,  she 
became  once  more  mocking  and  cruel. 


THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY  121 

"Is  it  not  beautiful?"  she  asked,  holding  up  the 
procession  of  evil-looking  creatures  before  that  one 
bold  suitor  who  had  met  her  first,  and  who  now  leaned 
over  the  back  of  her  chair. 

"Beautiful,  indeed!"  sighed  the  prince;  but  he 
spoke  absently,  not  seeing  the  tapestry,  and  thinking 
only  of  the  lady's  eyes. 

"  And  you  ?  "  she  said  graciously,  turning  to  those 
who  dared  not  press  so  near.  "  Do  you  not  praise  my 
work  ?  " 

"  It  is  lovely,  princess !  "  cried  one,  and  another 
echoed  the  word,  until  a  chorus  of  acclamation  rose 
over  the  wonderful  tapestry.  Even  the  king,  who  had 
understood  from  the  court  physicians  that  the  princess 
must  not  be  crossed,  declared  it  to  be  "  one  of  the 
neatest  pieces  I  ever  saw,  my  dear !  " 

Then  the  face  of  the  princess  grew  scornful,  and 
she  thought:  "  I  will  have  none  of  you,  flatterers  and 
liars !  "  And  gathering  up  her  work,  she  walked  with 
stately  step  to  her  bower. 

So  several  days  passed,  and  the  princess  grew  more 
and  more  wicked,  and  determined  to  test  every  one 
about  her  to  find  out  if,  by  chance,  there  lived  prince 
or  courtier  who  would  not  lie.  Her  father  had  given 
her  a  week  to  make  choice  among  her  forty-nine 


122  THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY 

suitors,  and  she,  finding  that  flattery  moved  all  their 
tongues,  resolved  to  cheat  them  to  the  end  with  fair 
words  and  gentle  looks,  and  then  reject  them  all. 

On  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  she  rose  early, 
and  went  out  alone  to  walk  on  the  dew- jeweled  grass 
in  front  of  the  castle  before  any  of  the  princes  should 
have  roused  from  their  dreams  to  thoughts  of  wooing. 
Now  the  lady  was  very  sad,  and  weary  of  her  bitter 
jest.  As  she  went  down  the  palace  steps  she  saw, 
standing  by  the  fountain,  a  beautiful  youth  whom  she 
recognized  as  that  one  of  the  forty-nine  who  had  first 
addressed  her,  and  who  had  not  spoken  after  that  first 
evening,  but  had  stood  apart  while  the  others  flattered 
her.  His  looks  were  sad  as  her  thoughts,  and  seeing 
that,  she  approached  him. 

a  Prince,"  she  said,  "  why  have  you  risen  so  early?" 

^'  Princess,"  he  answered,  dofl&ng  his  velvet  cap, 
"  because  I  took  leave  of  the  king,  your  father,  last 
night,  and  this  morning  I  am  to  ride  away." 

"  But  you  have  not  yet  taken  leave  of  me ! "  she 
said  angrily. 

The  prince  hesitated,  but  only  for  a  moment. 

"  Princess,"  he  said,  "  I  came  here  to  ask  your  hand 
in  marriage.  You  have  made  it  impossible  for  me  to 
do  that,  and  so  I  have  only  courage  to  steal  away 


THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY  123 

quietly,  not  waiting  to  see  you  choose  one  of  those  in 
whose  company  I  came  hither." 

The  princess  had  grown  very  pale,  and  her  white 
hands  trembled. 

"  Will  you  tell  me  why  you  could  not  ask  me  that 
question?"  she  said  meekly.  "Am  I  not  —  do  I  not 
look  as  you  wished  ?  " 

"  You  are  beautiful  as  the  day,"  he  cried ;  and  then 
he  went  on  sternly,  "  but  you  are  cruel.  You  spend 
your  golden  hours  in  making  what  is  ugly  instead  of 
that  w^hich  is  fair  to  see,  and  then  you  force  others 
to  lie  in  praising  it." 

In  spite  of  her  shame,  a  great  joy  fell  upon  the 
princess,  and  flushed  her  face  Hke  roses  with  the  sun- 
set on  them. 

"  Sir,"  she  said,  very  softly,  "  do  you  like  my  tapes- 
try?" 

"  It  is  hideous,"  began  the  prince  severely,  when, 
to  his  amazement,  the  princess  broke  into  happy  tears. 

"  I  have  been  wicked,"  she  cried,  "  but  oh !  if  you 
would  not  ride  away  this  morning !  " 

And  the  prince  fell  on  his  knees  before  her  and 
kissed  her  lovely  hands. 

When  the  court  awoke  that  morning,  there  was  a 
great  outcry  for  the  Princess  Melita,  until  one  of  her 


124  THE  WONDERFUL  TAPESTRY 

ladies  espied  her  coming  toward  the  castle,  leaning 
on  the  arm  of  the  happy  prince.  As  soon  as  they  saw 
her  face,  they  all  knew  what  had  happened,  and  the 
forty-eight  suitors  ordered  their  forty-eight  horses  to 
be  saddled  without  delay,  while  the  king  stepped  for- 
ward to  meet  the  pair,  and  kissed  his  son-in-law  on 
both  cheeks.  As  for  the  court  fool,  who  had  been  the 
only  one  to  understand  all  this  from  first  to  last,  he 
stole  up  behind  the  princess  and  whispered :  "  Shall  I 
burn  the  tapestry,  my  lady  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  princess  humbly,  "  it  shall  hang  in 
a  room  in  my  husband's  house,  and  if  evil  moods  come 
upon  me,  I  will  go  and  look  at  it,  and  be  cured." 


THE  COURT  FOOL  HAD  BEEN  THE  ONLY  ONE  TO  UNDERSTAND 


THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN 

THERE  was  once  an  old  woman  who  had  al- 
ways been  obliged  to  work  very  hard  for  a  liv- 
ing, and  her  only  helper  was  a  Little  Brown  Hen. 
Every  morning  the  little  hen  laid  a  beautiful  white 
eggy  and  every  morning  the  old  woman  carried  it  to 
the  palace  for  the  King's  breakfast,  and  the  small 
silver  coin  paid  her  weekly  by  the  royal  Treasurer 
served  to  buy  nearly  all  her  tea  and  sugar. 

One  night  the  King  lay  awake  for  an  hour,  and 
among  the  fancies  that  occurred  to  him  was  one  that 
he  was  tired  of  eggs  made  up  of  a  white  and  a 
yolk. 

"  I  will  have,  henceforth,"  thought  he,  ^^  a  white 
egg  one  morning  and  a  yellow  egg  the  next." 

So,  on  the  following  day,  when  the  little  old  woman 
appeared,  bringing  his  egg,  he  commanded  that  she 
should  be  shown  into  the  room  where  he  sat,  with  his 
morning  crown  on,  waiting  for  breakfast. 

"  ^ow,  old  woman,"  said  he  as.  she  entered,  bob- 
bing and  curtsying,  "  it  is  our  royal  will  that  hence- 
forth the  egg  laid  for  our  royal  breakfast  shall  not  be 


126  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN 

of  two  colors,  white  and  yellow,  but  that  the  colors 
shall  alternate.  One  morning  we  will  eat  an  egg  all 
white,  and  the  next  morning  one  all  yellow." 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  the  old  woman,  trembling, 
"  that  is  a  thing  not  to  be  bought,  even  by  your  Ma- 
jesty. There  are  no  such  eggs." 

The  King's  brows  grew  black;  he  was  not  used  to 
being  denied. 

"  I  have  commanded  that  there  should  be !  "  he 
thundered.    "  Find  them ! " 

"Your  Majesty,"  said  the  old  woman,  trembling 
still  more,  "  my  Little  Brown  Hen  is  an  excellent  hen, 
and  knows  all  the  secrets  of  her  trade ;  yet  am  I  will- 
ing to  swear  that  neither  she  nor  any  other  hen  can 
give  your  Majesty  eggs  all  white  or  all  yellow." 

"Is  this  so?"  asked  the  King,  turning  to  his  court- 
iers, and  they  bowed  their  heads,  and  answered : 

"  Your  Majesty,  it  is  so.   There  are  no  such  eggs." 

Then  the  King  fell  into  a  sadness,  and  because  he 
could  not  get  the  eggs,  he  desired  them  more  than 
anything  in  all  the  world. 

"  Old  woman,"  he  said  at  length,  looking  down  at 
her,  "I  will  give  you  forty  arrals  apiece  for  two  hens, 
one  of  them  to  lay  white  eggs  and  the  other  yellow." 

Now  an  arral  is  a  golden  coin  of  that  kingdom,  and 


THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN  127 

when  the  old  woman  heard  of  forty  such,  she  reahzed 
that  they  would  support  her  for  many  years,  and  she 
plucked  up  a  famt  hope  that  such  hens  might  be 
found. 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  she,  "  I  will  do  my  best.  But 
if  I  have  to  go  to  a  far  country  in  search  of  them,  who 
will  bring  your  Majesty  the  fresh  egg  every  morning?  " 

"  If  your  hen  is  a  trustworthy  hen,  let  her  come  and 
lay  it  at  the  palace  gate  herself,"  said  the  King,  "  and 
the  High  Treasurer  shall  keep  the  money  due  you 
imtil  your  return." 

So  the  old  woman  made  her  curtsy  and  went  away, 
full  of  hope  and  fear.  When  she  reached  home,  she 
found  in  the  dooryard  her  own  little  hen,  who  was 
never  idle  a  moment,  picking  slugs  from  the  cabbages. 

"  Little  hen,"  said  the  old  woman,  out  of  breath  as 
she  was,  "  can  you  lay  an  egg  all  white  or  all  yellow  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  the  Brown  Hen,  quite  scornfully,  "  nor 
any  other  hen.   "Who  ever  heard  of  such  a  thing?  " 

"  If  I  can  find  anybody  that  has  heard  of  it,"  said 
the  old  woman,  "  my  fortune  is  made.  Perhaps  there 
are  magic  hens  somewhere,  if  one  could  only  come 
across  them." 

"  Perhaps  there  are,  and  magic  cabbages  and  magic 
worms,"  said  the  Little  Brown  Hen,  as  she  swallowed 


128  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN 

a  grub  in  a  very  genteel  manner,  "  but  I  have  an  idea 
they  don't  agree  with  people  as  well  as  the  common 
sort." 

Then  her  mistress  hastily  told  her  that  she  was  go- 
ing on  a  journey  to  find  the  magic  hen,  and  urged 
her  to  be  faithful  in  laying  an  egg  every  morning  at 
the  palace  gate.  And  though  the  Little  Brown  Hen, 
with  tears  running  down  her  beak,  begged  her  to 
give  up  this  perilous  adventure,  she  would  not  be  per- 
suaded, and  set  off  at  nightfall  alone. 

"Well,"  said  the  Brown  Hen,  as  her  mistress  dis- 
appeared over  the  hill  behind  the  house,  "  what  can't 
be  swallowed  whole  must  be  pecked  apart.  If  my 
mistress  is  really  gone,  the  only  thing  for  me  to  do  is 
to  scratch  along  the  best  way  I  can." 

So,  next  morning,  she  got  down  early  from  the 
perch,  went  to  the  palace  and  laid  her  egg  beside  the 
gate.  As  she  began  to  cackle,  to  summon  the  head 
cook,  who  should  appear  but  the  King,  risen  betimes 
to  meditate  on  magic  eggs. 

"  Well,  well,"  said  he,  taking  off  his  outdoor  crown 
to  cool  his  brow,  "  so  you  're  the  little  hen  that  brings 
my  breakfast.  Has  your  mistress  gone  on  her  errand?  " 

"  Your  Majesty,  she  started  last  night." 

^*  How  soon  do  you  think  she  will  succeed?  '^ 


THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN  129 

"  In  the  time  that  it  would  take  to  raise  wheat 
from  acorns  or  turn  ducks  into  worms." 

"  Oho ! "  said  the  King,  who  felt  very  good-hu- 
mored, "  so  you  don't  think  she  '11  succeed  at  all !  " 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  the  Little  Brown  Hen,  "  it 's 
a  thankless  task  to  speak  the  truth  to  the  cock  of  a 
farmyard.  Still,  since  your  Majesty  asks  me,  I  must 
say  that  I  know  she  cannot  do  the  thing  you  ask." 

The  King  was  not  in  the  least  offended  at  the  little 
hen's  honesty. 

"  At  any  rate,  you  're  not  afraid  to  speak  your  mind," 
he  said,  chuckling.  "  You  'd  never  do  for  a  courtier. 
Here  is  a  golden  arral  for  you  to  spend  in  corn." 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  the  Little  Brown  Hen,  "  I 
am  very  thankful  for  the  money ;  but  I  beg  of  you  to 
place  it  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  Treasurer,  that  he 
may  keep  it  for  my  mistress.  She  has  left  me  enough 
grain  to  eat,  and  I  pick  up  many  a  fat  worm  in  the 
garden." 

Then  the  King,  excellently  entertained,  went  in  to 
breakfast,  with  a  better  appetite  than  he  had  had 
since  he  was  a  crown  prince  young  enough  to  steal 
jam  from  the  sideboard.  Next  morning  as  the  little 
hen  laid  her  egg  at  the  gate,  he  appeared  again,  this 
time  on  purpose  to  see  her. 


130  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN 

"  Little  hen,"  said  he,  "  I  have  been  thinking  about 
you.  Why  don't  you  run  away  and  have  a  good 
time  while  your  mistress  is  gone,  instead  of  grubbing 
along  like  this?" 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  the  Little  Brown  Hen,  "  it 's 
a  poor  hen  that  scratches  only  for  herself.  I  like  to 
work  for  my  mistress." 

"  But  just  take  my  advice,  and  go  off  on  a  vaca- 
tion," persuaded  the  King.  "Your  mistress  never 
will  know." 

Then  the  little  hen  forgot  that  she  was  in  the  pre- 
sence of  a  king,  and  her  feathers  ruffled  with  indig- 
nation. ' 

"  I  never  heard  such  talk  —  no,  not  since  I  was  a 
pullet,"  cried  she.  "  Even  a  hawk  will  feed  her  own 
young  ones,  and  who  am  I  that  I  should  desert  my 
mistress  ?  " 

With  that  she  ran  off  home,  cackling  as  she  went, 
and  the  King,  delighted  at  being  treated  like  an 
ordinary  mortal,  walked  smiling  in  to  breakfast,  and 
on  his  way  he  ordered  the  Lord  Treasurer  to  lay  aside 
four  golden  arrals  for  the  Little  Brown  Hen. 

Next  morning  when  the  King  appeared,  the  little 
hen  was  very  much  subdued  and  made  him  a  low 
bow  without  daring  to  look  in  his  face. 


I   NEVER   HEARD   SUCH   TALK  — NO,  NOT   SINCE   I  AVAS  A  PULLET!" 


THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN  131 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  she,  "  those  that  are  raised 
in  the  barnyard  have  rough  voices.  I  hope  your  Ma- 
jesty will  pardon  the  violence  of  my  speech  yester- 
day." 

"Nay,  little  hen,  you  were  quite  right,"  said  the 
King.  "  And  I  was  only  testing  you  to  see  whether 
you  were  a  good  little  hen  or  a  selfish  and  idle  one. 
And  now  I  find  you  are  sound  as  your  own  eggs,  and 
I  like  you." 

Then  the  little  hen's  heart  was  filled  with  joy,  and 
she  dared  look  up  at  the  King  again,  and  answer  him 
in  her  own  dry  voice. 

"  Your  mistress  has  been  gone  a  long  time  looking 
for  my  magic  eggs,"  he  said.  ^'  Do  you  think  any- 
thing can  have  happened  to  her  ?  " 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  the  little  hen,  looking  very 
grave,  "  it 's  ill  work  leaving  a  safe  roosting-place  so 
near  nightfall.  I  do  feel  worried  about  my  mistress; 
I  wish  every  hour  she  had  n't  gone." 

"  I  've  been  sorry  I  sent  her,"  said  the  king,  "  though 
I  did  get  a  little  tired  of  whites  and  yellows  together. 
On  the  whole,  though,  I  am  glad  she  went,  for  other- 
wise I  might  never  have  had  a  chance  to  hear  your 
excellent  conversation;  and  I  have  now  resolved, 
since  you  give  such  good  advice,  to  make  you  my 


132  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN 

chief  minister,  so  that  I  can  consult  you  every 
day." 

"  Your  Majesty,"  said  the  little  hen,  "  let  them  that 
have  weak  wings  content  themselves  with  a  low  roost. 
I  can  give  your  Majesty  a  breakfast,  but  it  is  not 
fitting  that  a  hen  should  be  among  your  ministers." 

No  one  likes  to  have  his  favors  rejected,  and  kings, 
in  such  circumstances,  are  apt  to  be  displeased. 

"  Yery  well,  do  as  you  like,"  said  the  King,  with 
dignity.  "  But  I  think  you  are  a  trifle  selfish.  If  you 
have  good  counsel,  and  I  want  good  counsel,  why 
should  n't  you  allow  me  to  buy  it  of  you  ?  " 

"  Because,  your  Majesty,  those  that  go  into  a  strange 
field  for  grasshoppers  are  likely  to  find  only  snakes. 
If  I  should  become  one  of  your  Majesty's  ministers, 
the  others  would  grow  jealous  and  jeer  at  me,  and  I 
should  end  in  the  pot  of  the  royal  kitchen.  But  if  I 
can  answer  any  question  for  your  Majesty,  I  shall  be 
only  too  glad  to  do  it  whenever  I  come  to  bring  my 
morning  ogg.^^ 

"  Wise  little  hen,"  cried  the  king,  delighted.  "  We 
will  tell  nobody,  and  you  shall  be  my  counselor,  at  a 
salary  of  four  golden  arrals  a  day." 

Thus  it  happened  that  every  morning  he  asked  her 
some  question,  and  so  well  pleased  was  he  with  her 


THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN  133 

answers  that  he  rehed  on  her  more  and  more,  and  so 
great  a  wisdom  did  he  begin  to  show  in  the  manage- 
ment of  affairs  that  the  state  officials  said  to  one 
another : 

"  The  King  is  waking  up !  We,  too,  must  be  alert 
and  vigilant."  And  the  kingdom  grew  daily  in  power. 

Meanwhile  the  old  woman  journeyed  on  and  on, 
and  after  many  hardships  she  came  to  a  land  where 
two  sisters,  called  the  Wonder- Workers,  dwelt  to- 
gether in  a  fine  castle,  and  studied  the  art  of  magic. 
One  evening,  tired  and  footsore,  the  old  woman  toiled 
up  the  path  leading  to  their  castle. 

^^Can  you  tell  me,"  she  asked  of  one  sister,  who 
sat  at  a  casement  looking  down  over  the  park,  "  can 
you  tell  me  of  any  recipe  that  will  make  an  egg  all 
white  or  an  egg  all  yellow  ?  " 

"If  we  can't,  nobody  can,"  said  the  Wonder- 
Worker  haughtily.  "  Sister,  do  you  hear  ?  Can  we 
tell  her?" 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  the  other  Wonder- Worker,  appear- 
ing at  the  casement,  ^'it  is  quite  simple.  You  must 
feed  your  hen  on  rice  and  snow  one  day  and  the  pol- 
len from  the  inside  of  a  lily  the  next  day.  At  least,  I 
think  so ;  I  can't  imagine  any  better  diet." 

Then  the  old  woman's  heart  was  glad  indeed. 


134  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN 

"Could  you  find  me  some  hens  to  lay  such  eggs?" 
she  asked  joyously.  "  And  if  you  succeed  in  making 
them  do  it,  the  King  of  my  country  will  pay  me  forty 
golden  arrals,  and  twenty  of  them  you  shall  have  for 
your  pains.'' 

"  If  we  can't  do  it,  nobody  can,"  said  the  sisters. 
"  But  you  must  first  find  us  the  pollen,  the  snow  and 
the  rice." 

The  old  woman  had  a  little  money  —  all  her  store 
—  tied  up  in  a  corner  of  her  handkerchief,  and  she 
immediately  brought  it  forth,  and  sent  messengers  in 
different  directions,  some  to  fetch  pollen  from  the 
marshes  and  some  to  bring  snow  from  the  mountain- 
tops.  This  was  very  expensive  work,  but  her  heart 
was  set  on  fulfilling  the  King's  wish. 

At  the  end  of  a  month  her  money  was  gone,  and, 
though  the  two  Wonder- Workers  had  brought  her 
egg  after  egg,  they  were  all  of  the  same  sort. 

"  Deary  me,  deary  me !  "  cried  the  old  woman.  "  My 
money  is  gone,  and  I  've  nothing  to  show  for  it.  I  'd 
better  never  have  left  my  home." 

"Why,  of  course,"  said  one  of  the  sisters,  "you  might 
have  known  the  fashion  of  eggs  was  n't  to  be  changed. 
We  could  have  told  you  that;  but  when  people  ask 
us  to  do  impossible  things,  we  're  obliged  to  try." 


THE  ROAD  THAT  LED  TO  HER  HOME 


THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN  135 

The  old  woman  did  not  reproach  them,  for  she  saw 
they  were  like  many  people  who  pretend  to  wisdom 
though  they  have  it  not;  but  she  turned  about  sor- 
rowfully, and  took  to  the  road  that  led  to  her  home. 
Many  a  weary  day  it  was  before  she  reached  her  little 
house,  and  when  she  did  who  should  fly  forward  into 
her  very  arms  but  the  Little  Brown  Hen. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  mistress,"  she  cried,  "how  glad  I  am 
to  see  you !  " 

And  the  old  woman,  remembering  that  she  had  one 
trusty  friend,  sat  down  on  her  doorstep  and  wept  joy- 
ous tears. 

Next  morning,  she  went  sadly  to  the  palace  with 
the  little  hen,  and  confessed  to  her  Royal  Master  that 
her  mission  had  failed. 

"  Well,  well !  "  said  the  King  good-naturedly,  "  it 
might  have  been  expected.  But  your  going  was 
lucky." 

Then  he  went  on  to  tell  her  how  he  had  growTi  to 
admire  and  trust  the  Little  Brown  Hen,  and  how  she 
had  earned  for  her  mistress,  by  her  eggs  and  good 
counsel,  four  hundred  golden  arrals,  which  had  been 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Lord  Treasurer. 

"  My  little  hen,"  cried  the  old  woman,  turning  to 
her  faithful  friend,  as  she  stood  modestly  beside  the 


136  THE  LITTLE  BROWN  HEN 

egg  she  had  brought,  "you  have  made  both  our 
fortunes.  With  four  hundred  golden  arrals  we  shall 
always  be  rich,  even  should  we  live  for  many  years. 
How  can  I  treat  you  kindly  enough  to  pay  you  ?  " 

"  It  was  my  duty  to  keep  pecking  away,"  said  the 
Little  Brown  Hen.  "  And  often  it  happens  that  there 
are  more  worms  in  the  home  garden  than  on  the 
public  road." 


ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM 

ONCE  there  were  two  sisters  named  Rosebloom 
and  Thornbloom.  They  were  both  very  beauti- 
ful, and  Rosebloom  was  always  happy  and  contented. 
She  loved  to  sit  on  the  door-stone,  hour  after  hour, 
knitting,  and  took  pleasure  in  watching  her  plants 
and  birds;  but  Thornbloom  was  never  at  rest  from 
one  day  to  another,  because  she  longed  to  be  finer 
and  more  prosperous  than  everybody  else. 

"  I  will  be  a  princess,"  she  said  at  length,  one  day, 
"  and  I  will  live  in  a  castle,  and  marry  no  one  but  a 
prince." 

So  she  ran  to  tell  this  resolution  to  her  father,  because 
she  was  determined  to  lose  no  time  in  carrying  it  out. 

"  Dear  me,"  said  her  father,  who  was  a  very  kind 
and  indulgent  old  man,  "  you  can't  be  a  princess,  you 
know.  I  am  not  a  king." 

"  That  makes  no  difference,"  said  Thornbloom, 
pressing  her  lips  together  in  an  obstinate  way  she 
had.  *^I  will  be  a  princess,  and  you  must  give  me  a 
castle  to  live  in.  Nothing  else  in  the  world  will  con- 
tent me." 


138        ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM 

The  poor  father  sighed,  for  he  had  often  been 
called  upon  to  do  quite  as  difficult  things  for  this 
troublesome  daughter;  and  then,  as  usual,  he  set  about 
thinking  how  her  wish  could  best  be  gratified.  At 
last,  after  wearing  his  thinking-cap  day  and  night  for 
nearly  a  week,  he  said  to  her :  — 

"About  twenty  miles  from  here  is  a  ruined  castle, 
which  stands  on  my  land.  If  you  like  to  go  there  and 
live  for  a  while,  you  are  perfectly  welcome  to  it.  I  'm 
afraid  you  won't  be  very  comfortable ;  but  this  is  the 
only  castle  I  know  anything  about,  and  perhaps 
it  will  prove  all  the  more  satisfactory  for  being  so 
ancient." 

Then  Thornbloom  was  greatly  delighted,  and  set 
about  making  preparations  for  her  journey.  She 
packed  her  most  gorgeous  apparel,  because  of  course 
a  princess  could  have  no  need  of  common  clothes; 
and  she  borrowed  a  half-finished  piece  of  tapestry  on 
which  Rosebloom  was  at  work.  Thornbloom  herself 
cared  nothing  about  such  occupations,  and  sometimes 
never  saw  her  thimble  for  a  week  at  a  time;  but  she 
had  heard  that  a  princess  was  often  found  embroider- 
ing by  the  prince  when  he  arrived,  and  she  thought 
it  would  be  safer  to  keep  something  of  the  kind  on 
hand.  Then  one  bright  morning  she  set  out  for  her 


ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM        139 

castle,  riding  on  a  little  palfrey,  accompanied  by  her 
maid,  a  cook,  and  an  old  man-servant  of  her  father's, 
to  do  the  work. 

Her  father  stood  looking  after  them,  his  eyes  full 
of  tears ;  and  Rosebloom  actually  lost  three  rounds  of 
knitting  in  waving  farewells. 

Thornbloom  was  in  high  spirits  now  that  she  had 
at  last  become  a  princess.  To  be  sure,  she  was  not 
over-comfortable,  because  she  had  thought  it  would 
be  proper  to  wear  a  long  gown  of  thin  embroidered 
silk;  and  this  fluttered  in  the  breeze  and  wound  itself 
about  the  palfrey's  legs  in  a  very  embarrassing  man- 
ner. Still,  Thornbloom  w^as  sure  she  should  know  bet- 
ter how  to  manage  it  when  she  had  been  longer  a 
princess.  She  had  given  her  servants  orders  that  they 
should  on  no  account  speak  to  her  unless  they  had 
been  first  addressed;  and  as  she  was  afraid  it  would 
not  be  dignified  to  talk  much  with  them,  she  dared 
not  speak  first.  Moreover,  she  had  an  idea  that  in  call- 
mg  to  them  she  ought  to  say,  "  Ho,  slave !  "  "  Come 
hither,  mmion! "  or  something  in  that  romantic  style; 
and  she  knew  that  in  case  she  did  the  servants  would 
very  likely  turn  straight  about  and  go  home. 

The  day  wore  on;  and  as  the  sun  rose  high  in 
heaven,  Thornbloom  grew  tired  and  thirsty,  and  told 


140        ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM 

Hegner,  the  man-servant,  to  stop  as  soon  as  he  saw 
signs  of  a  brook  or  spring,  where  they  might  drink 
and  water  the  horses.  But  when  they  did  come  to  a 
little  stream  in  a  green  valley,  it  was  discovered  that 
Thornbloom's  golden  cup  had  been  packed  at  the 
very  bottom  of  the  chest,  and  that  it  would  cost  great 
delay  to  reach  it. 

"  Very  well,"  said  she  to  herself,  "  of  course  I  can't 
drink  at  all.  A  princess  should  use  a  golden  cup." 

So  she  sat  on  her  palfrey,  looking  at  the  water  in 
a  dignified  manner,  and  pretending  that  she  was  quite 
above  wanting  any,  while  her  maid  drank  from  a  leaf, 
and  the  other  servants  from  their  hands.  Her  lips  and 
tongue  were  quite  parched,  and  her  eyes  filled  with 
tears  of  disappointment  and  longing ;  but  she  was  still 
determined,  at  all  hazards,  to  be  a  proper  princess. 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  a  gray  tower 
loomed  up  against  the  sky,  and  Thornbloom's  heart 
grew  joyful. 

"  Ah !  "  cried  she :  "  that  must  be  my  castle.  Heg- 
ner, is  not  that  my  castle  ?  " 

"  I  believe  it  is  the  old  ruin,  miss,"  said  Hegner 
rather  crossly.  He  was  a  trusty  servant;  but  being 
also  rheumatic,  he  could  scarcely  have  been  expected 
to  relish  such  an  adventure  at  his  time  of  life. 


ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM       141 

"Try  to  remember,  Hegner,  to  address  me  as 
*  Your  Highness/  "  said  Thornbloom  severely.  "  Do 
not  let  me  have  to  speak  to  you  about  it  again." 

So  they  moved  on,  Hegner  shaking  his  gray  head 
sorrowfully,  and  saying  to  himself,  "Mad!  mad  as 
five  hatters!"  But  Thornbloom,  though  she  heard 
him  quite  plainly,  held  her  chin  high  in  air,  and  pre- 
tended to  be  thinking  of  other  and  more  lofty  things. 

Presently,  as  they  rode  along,  came  a  clatter  of 
hoofs  behind,  and  a  youth  dashed  up  to  them  on  a 
great  red  horse.  He  had  the  beauty  of  brown  eyes 
and  white  teeth,  and  he  took  off  his  cap  to  Thorn- 
bloom, with  a  charming  grace. 

"  My  adventures  have  begun,"  thought  she.  "  This 
is  surely  a  prince  ! " 

The  youth  rode  along  quite  near  her  side,  and 
seemed  desirous  of  talking  w^ith  her;  but,  being  both 
polite  and  modest,  he  would  not  speak  first. 

"  Good-morrow,  fair  sir,"  said  Thornbloom,  smihng 
upon  him  graciously. 

"Good-morrow,  madam,"  said  the  youth.  "Your 
palfrey  looks  as  if  he  had  traveled  far  to-day.  The 
next  town  is  many  miles  away ;  and,  unless  you  have 
other  accommodation  for  the  night,  my  grandmother 
would  be  glad  to  have  you  pasture  your  beasts  in  her 


142        ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM 

field,  and  she  will  find  room  in  the  house  for  you  and 
your  servants.  She  bade  me  ride  after  you  to  say 
so." 

"  Your  grandmother,  —  the  queen  ?  "  asked  Thorn- 
bloom. 

The  youth  laughed  loud  and  long. 

"  Oh,  dear,  no,"  he  said,  "  she  is  n't  a  queen.  She  is 
a  dear  old  lady,  and  she  lives  in  that  pretty  stone  house 
you  have  just  passed.  Whatever  could  have  made  you 
think  she  was  a  queen  ?  " 

"  And  are  n't  you  a  prince,  then  ?  "  inquired  Thorn- 
bloom,  in  a  tone  becoming  rapidly  colder.  "  An  en- 
chanted prince,  perhaps,"  she  whispered  eagerly. 
"  Don't  be  afraid  of  saying  so.  I  won't  tell." 

He  laughed  again. 

"  Why,  I  am  only  Eric,  the  gardener,"  he  said.  "  I 
raise  wheat  on  our  little  farm,  and  send  it  to  the  mill 
to  be  ground,  and  then  sell  it  for  a  pretty  penny. 
Grandmother  and  I  are  not  rich;  but  we  have  all  we 
want,  and  we  are  as  happy  as  the  day  is  long." 

Thornbloom  privately  thought  this  very  delightful ; 
but  she  knew  quite  well  that,  being  a  princess,  she 
ought  not  to  feel  interested  in  so  humble  a  person. 

"  Your  worthy  grandmother  was  very  kind  to  offer 
us  the  shelter  of  her  roof,"  she  said,  with   dignity. 


ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM        143 

"But  our  own  castle  is  now  in  sight.   That  is  our 
destination." 

She  waved  her  hand  toward  the  gray  tower,  and 
Eric  turned  his  eyes  upon  the  pile  of  stones. 

"  Not  the  ruin ! "  he  cried  in  amazement.  "  Bless 
my  soul !  You  don't  mean  to  say  you  are  going  to 
live  in  the  ruin  ?  " 

"  Our  castle  has  fallen  somewhat  into  decay,"  said 
Thornbloom,  rather  offended,  though  striving  still  to 
be  majestic.  "  But  doubtless  we  shall  restore  it  to  its 
former  greatness." 

Eric  was  evidently  much  amused;  but  he  drew  his 
mouth  together  into  a  proper  knot,  and,  gravely  lift- 
ing his  cap,  said  he  would  bid  the  princess  good-day. 
She  bowed,  with  as  much  cordiality  as  seemed  becom- 
ing to  one  of  her  station ;  but,  just  as  Eric  turned  his 
horse  about,  old  Hegner  piped  up  — 

"Miss  Thornbloom,  perhaps  the  young  man  can 
tell  us  where  to  go  for  provisions." 

"  Of  course,  I  can,"  said  Eric  promptly.  "  I  will 
bring  you  some  bread  and  meat  myself;  and  indeed, 
if  you  like,  I  will  supply  you  every  morning  with 
vegetables  and  fruit  from  my  home  garden." 

"  That  will  do  excellently  well,"  said  Thornbloom, 
and  she  wanted  to  add,  "Thou  art  a  worthy  youth'"; 


144        ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM 

but  somehow  she  did  not  dare.  Eric  looked  as  if  he 
might  laugh  at  any  instant;  and  there  was  a  grave, 
straightforward  look  in  his  eyes  which  made  Thorn- 
bloom  feel  rather  small  and  young. 

Eric  cantered  away  on  the  big  red  horse,  and 
Thornbloom,  with  her  train,  entered  the  courtyard 
of  her  castle.  It  was  a  forbidding  pile,  half  in  ruins, 
full  of  great  open  spaces,  through  which  the  swallows 
flew  back  and  forth,  and  where  one  within  could  catch 
glimpses  of  the  blue  sky.  Thornbloom  dismounted 
and  entered,  holding  her  silken  skirts  daintily  from 
the  ground.  She  was  conscious  of  making  a  very 
pretty  picture  in  the  dark  place ;  but  Helda,  the  maid, 
kept  muttering :  "  Well,  if  ever  I  Who  'd  have  thought 
't  was  such  a  hole !  "  And  once,  when  a  startled  bird 
flew  out  of  a  corner  and  whizzed  past,  she  gave  a  loud 
shriek,  and  seized  her  mistress's  arm. 

"  Unhand  me,  girl,"  said  Thornbloom  calmly,  de- 
termined that  no  one  should  see  her  flinch.  "  Helda, 
I  shall  occupy  the  tower:  it  seems  to  be  the  only  part 
of  the  castle  which  is  quite  firm.  You  may  have  the 
little  room  next  mine,  and  the  cook  will  take  the  base- 
ment. Hegner  can  choose  his  own  sleeping-place." 

Then  while  Helda  went  about  sobbing  and  giving 
little  shrieks  whenever  she  startled  a  rat  or  touched 


ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM        145 

a  spot  of  mildew,  Thornbloom  unbraided  her  hair, 
because  she  had  always  understood  that  a  princess 
wears  hers  unconfined,  and  sat  down  by  the  window 
to  think  how  very  satisfactory  it  all  was,  and  how  she 
had  at  last  reached  her  proper  station  in  life.  She  was 
terribly  hungry,  but,  of  course,  being  a  princess,  she 
could  not  lower  herself  so  much  as  to  think  about 
that;  and  after  telling  Helda  carelessly  to  bring  her 
a  cup  of  wine  and  a  bit  of  bread,  she  showed  no  more 
interest  in  the  subject.  And  as  Hegner  was  cross, 
and  the  cook  frightened  out  of  her  wits  at  the  sight 
of  a  dirty  kitchen  and  a  tumble-down  fireplace,  it 
was  quite  late  at  night  before  the  golden  cup  could 
be  unpacked  and  the  poor  princess  given  her  supper. 

She  ate  it  ravenously,  and  then  rolled  herself  up  in 
a  fur  cloak,  and  lay  down  on  a  long  table,  because  it 
had  been  discovered  that,  whatever  there  might  have 
been  once,  there  was  now  not  a  single  bedstead  to  be 
found  in  the  castle. 

Thornbloom  was  awake  at  the  first  peep  of  day ; 
and  when  she  rose,  her  royal  bones  were  stiff  as 
badly-jointed  iron. 

"It's  all  that  table!"  thought  she.  "There's  no 
doubt  whatever  that  I  shall  have  to  send  home  for  a 
bedstead/' 


146         ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM 

She  put  on  a  lovely  sea-green  silk,  embroide*  t;d  with 
gold,  tied  her  golden  hair  with  a  silken  snood,  and, 
after  looking  in  her  mirror  (she  had  not  forgotten  that, 
though  she  had  the  bedsteads),  she  went  down  the 
etone  stairs  to  breakfast.  Early  as  it  was,  Eric  had 
brought  some  meat  and  fine  white  bread,  some  red 
apples  and  purple  grapes*,  and  he  was  flying  about 
the  bare  dining-hall,  doing  a  hundred  things  at  once. 
He  had  built  a  roaring  fire  in  the  old  fireplace,  he 
had  set  a  vase  of  roses  beside  Thornbloom's  plate, 
and  he  was  whipping  up  a  frothy  drink  of  eggs  and 
milk,  while  the  cook  stood  in  the  doorway,  and  shook 
her  sides  at  sight  of  so  fine  a  helper. 

Old  Hegner  was  smiling  as  he  threw  more  sticks 
on  the  fire,  and  Helda,  standing  near  one  of  the  win- 
dows, her  finger  in  her  mouth,  was  saying,  "  What  a 
funny  gentleman ! "  when  Thornbloom  came  in.  And 
Thornbloom,  though  she  meant  to  be  dignified,  as 
became  her  position,  could  not  forbear  smiling,  and 
saying  very  kindly :  "  Good-morning,  sir  !  " 

Eric  bowed  low,  and  gravely  arranged  the  stool  on 
which  she  was  to  sit.  Then  he  signed  Helda  to  pour 
the  beverage  he  had  made  into  the  golden  goblet. 

"  It  seems  to  me,"  said  Thornbloom,  as  she  tasted  it, 
"  that  you  must  be  a  cook,  sir,  and  a  very  good  one." 


ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM        147 

"  My  grandmother  told  me  how  to  make  it,"  said 
Eric.  "  She  said  you  would  be  tired  and  perhaps  ill 
after  your  long  journey,  and  that  you  must  have  del- 
icate food." 

As  Thornbloom  ate,  her  spirits  began  to  rise. 

"  Have  you  Hved  in  this  neighborhood  a  long  time?  " 
she  asked  Eric. 

"  A  long  time :  ever  since  1  was  a  little  boy." 

"  Then  you  must  know  whether  there  are  any  en- 
chanted knights  or  ladies  hereabout." 

''  I  don't  think  it 's  likely,"  said  Eric,  rather  puzzled. 
"  I  know  all  the  country  people  for  miles  around." 

^'  Do  you  ever  see  any  fairies  ?  " 

"  Not  one." 

"  Nor  a  witch,  nor  an  enchanter  in  a  cave,  nor  a 
dragon,  or  griffin,  or  anything  of  that  sort  ?  " 

"  I  am  quite  sure  there  is  nothing  of  the  kind  here," 
answered  Eric  sadly. 

"  What  a  poor,  miserable  neighborhood !  "  said  the 
princess  pettishly.  "  I  wish  my  castle  had  been  erected 
somewhere  else." 

But  she  soon  recovered  from  her  ill-humor ;  and  as 
Eric  proposed  showing  her  the  old  garden  that  had 
once  been  finely  kept,  but  was  now  enlivened  only  by 
an  occasional  sweet-william  or  pink,  trying  to  live 


148         ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM 

and  bloom,  they  walked  there  until  noon.  Thornbloom 
meanwhile  tried  hard  to  remember  that  she  was  a  prin- 
cess, and  must  not  only  be  dignified  but  occasionally 
disagreeable ;  and  Eric  behaved  as  if  he  thought  her 
the  noblest  lady  in  the  land. 

Other  days  went  on  quite  like  this  first  one,  except 
that  Eric's  jokes  did  not  always  avail  in  keeping  the 
servants  good-tempered.  Hegner  declared  that  he 
was  "  too  old  for  this  beastly  camping  out."  Helda 
screamed  so  much  over  rats  and  bats  that  she  grew 
hoarse,  and  the  cook  declared  that  just  as  soon  as  she 
could  catch  a  ride,  back  to  master's  she  'd  go,  that 
she  would.  And  at  last,  from  breathing  the  dampness, 
and  lying  awake  at  night  in  fear  of  gnats  and  robbers, 
poor  Princess  Thornbloom  fell  ill,  and  lay  there  shiv- 
ering in  her  tower-room,  crying  out  that  a  dragon 
had  carried  her  away  into  an  enchanted  castle,  and 
that  she  would  give  all  the  gold  in  her  purse  and  all 
her  golden  hair  to  any  one  who  would  help  her  out. 
Then  suddenly  it  seemed  to  her  that  a  lovely  little 
creature  with  silver  hair  and  kind  blue  eyes  came  and 
looked  at  her,  and  she  felt  better. 

"You  must  be  a  good  fairy,"  said  Thornbloom 
feebly;  and,  as  she  said  it,  she  was  carried  out  into 
the  sunshine  and  away  into  a  heavenly  room,  all  blue 


ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM        149 

flowers  and  bright  sunlight,  and  placed  on  a  white 
bed.  Then  she  shut  her  eyes,  and  went  fast  asleep. 

When  Thornbloom  woke,  the  good  fairy  was  still 
beside  her,  softly  stroking  her  hands  and  smiling  at 
her;  and  the  sunny  room,  painted  over  with  blue  for- 
get-me-nots, seemed  also  to  smile. 

"Are  you  the  good  fairy?"  asked  Thornbloom 
again. 

"  Ko,  dear,"  said  the  pretty  old  lady,  "  I  am  just 
Eric's  grandmother.  You  were  sick,  my  dear,  and  we 
brought  you  here  to  get  well." 

"  Was  it  yesterday  ?  " 

"  Bless  the  child,  no !  it  was  weeks  ago.  Now  shut 
your  eyes,  you  pretty  creature,  and  sleep." 

Thornbloom  did  exactly  as  she  was  told.  She  slept 
and  ate,  and  slept  and  drank,  for  a  good  many  weeks 
more,  while  old  Hegner  sunned  himself  on  the  porch, 
and  the  other  two  servants  helped  about  the  work. 
And  at  last  she  knew  she  was  well,  though  still  very 
weak;  and  sitting  by  the  window  one  day,  she  began 
talking  with  Eric  of  the  things  that  had  happened. 

"  Your  grandmother  is  the  loveliest  old  lady  in  the 
world ! " 

"  I  think  so,"  said  Eric  modestly. 

"  And  your  work  is  so  interesting,  —  to  raise  the 


150        ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM 

wheat,  and  then  have  it  ground  into  flour !  It  is  far, 
far  better  than  being  a  knight  or  a  prince,  and  doing 
nothing  but  stand  about  idle." 

"  It  is  better  for  me,"  said  Eric. 

"  And  this  house,"  went  on  Thornbloom,  "  it  is  so 
clean,  so  sweet,  so  fragrant.  Why,  I  think  it  is  the 
most  charming  place  ever  seen !  " 

"  If  you  were  not  a  princess,"  said  Eric  softly,  "  1 
should  ask  you  to  marry  me,  and  live  here  always." 

"  Why,''  said  Thornbloom,  who  had  not  for  a  mo- 
ment dreamed  of  such  a  thing,  "  I  think  that  would 
be  perfectly  beautiful ! " 

It  was  not  many  weeks  before  Thornbloom  and  her 
husband  set  out  with  all  the  servants  on  a  visit  to  her 
old  home.  And  when  they  reached  the  house,  Thorn- 
bloom was  alarmed  to  see  that  Kosebloom  was  not 
sitting  in  the  doorway,  knitting;  she  was  sure  her 
sister  must  be  dead.  So  she  began  weeping  bitterly, 
and  Eric  could  not  comfort  her;  but  as  they  ap- 
proached still  nearer,  she  saw  that  Rosebloom  was 
walking  round  the  garden  with  a  handsome  youth, 
wearing  a  sword,  and  a  feather  in  his  cap. 

"Ah,"  cried  she,  "it  is  Eosebloom!"  and  Rose- 
bloom,  hearing  her  voice,  turned  with  a  cry  of  joy, 
and  they  fell  into  each  other's  arms. 


ROSEBLOOM  AND  THORNBLOOM        151 

When  they  had  wept,  and  kissed  each  other  many 
times,  Eosebloom  said  in  a  whisper :  "  That  is  Prince 
Fanciful,  and  I  am  going  to  marry  him,  dear  Thorn- 
bloom.  He  stopped  at  the  gate,  one  day  when  I  was 
knitting,  and  told  me  he  never  saw  such  fine  stitches." 

"  But  you  do  not  knit  so  much  now ! "  said  Thorn- 
bloom,  turning  back  with  a  sly  smile,  before  rushing 
into  the  house  to  find  her  father. 

"No,"  said  Rosebloom,  looking  a  little  ashamed, 
"he  is  afraid  I  shall  spoil  my  eyes  and  my  finger-tips. 
Why,  Thornbloom,  you  have  found  your  prince,  too ! " 


THE   GRADUAL  FAIRY 

ONCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  Mother  Breeze, 
and  she  lived,  with  her  seven  children,  inside 
a  hollow  tree.  Sometimes  they  thought  of  moving,  be- 
cause their  house  was  old  and  leaky,  and  there  was  al- 
ways a  draught.  But  the  Mother  Breeze  put  it  off, 
for,  said  she,  when  the  children  were  old  enough  to 
travel  they  could  go  West  and  live  with  their  Grand- 
father Cyclone,  who  was  very  rich  and  owned  a 
prairie. 

As  it  was,  the  Mother  Breeze  had  to  work  for  a  liv- 
ing; and  one  morning  she  got  up  and  said  to  the  seven 
Little  Breezes :  "  It  is  going  to  be  very  hot  to-day." 

Now  the  seven  Little  Breezes  knew  what  that 
meant :  for  when  it  was  hot  their  mother  always  had 
work  to  do,  fanning  the  Sunset  Lake. 

So  they  said:  *^0h,  let  us  go  with  you!  " 

"No,  my  dears,"  said  the  mother,  tying  on  her 
work-apron  and  her  stoutest  wings.  "  If  I  were  go- 
ing for  an  hour,  you  might  go.  Or  if  I  were  going  for 
two  hours,  you  might  go.  But  a  whole  day  is  too 
much." 


THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY  153 

With  that  she  began  to  look  about  for  the  leaf 
which  was  always  pasted  over  the  door  when  she  was 
away:  and  at  that  the  Little  Breezes  began  to  cry. 
They  cried  exactly  as  they  did  every  time  their  mother 
left  them,  and  they  said  exactly  the  same  thing :  — 

'^  Oh,  it  will  be  dark  in  here,  and  we  can't  see  to  play ! " 

But  the  mother  had  heard  it  so  many  times  that  she 
paid  no  attention.  She  only  said :  "  If  the  Green  Gob- 
lin comes,  be  sure  you  don't  let  him  in." 

"  May  n't  we  fly  out  and  play  with  him  ?  "  asked  all 
the  Little  Breezes,  though  they  knew  quite  well  how 
dangerous  that  would  be. 

"  No,  no,"  said  the  mother.  "  It  is  going  to  be  a 
hot  day,  and  he  would  breathe  you  all  up  as  quick  as  a 
wink." 

"  May  we  speak  to  him  ?  "  asked  the  Little  Breeze 
that  liked  to  talk. 

"  Yes,  you  may  speak  to  him.  Only  you  must  not 
let  him  in." 

"  May  we  make  fun  of  him  ? "  asked  the  Little 
Breeze  that  liked  to  laugh. 

"  Yes,  you  may  make  fun  of  him.  Only  you  must 
not  let  him  in.'' 

"  May  we  scold  himV  "  asked  the  Little  Breeze  that 
liked  to  make  other  people  do  what  he  said. 


154  THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY 

"  Yes,  you  may  scold  him.  Only  you  must  not  let 
him  in." 

"  May  we  praise  him  ?  "  asked  the  Little  Breeze 
that  liked  to  have  everybody  happy. 

"  Yes,  you  may  praise  him.  Only  you  must  not  let 
him  in." 

"  May  we  listen  to  him?  "  asked  the  Little  Breeze 
that  had  sharp  ears. 

"  Yes,  you  may  listen  to  him.  Only  you  must  not 
let  him  in." 

"  May  we  love  him  ?  "  asked  the  Little  Breeze  that 
liked  to  love  everybody. 

"  Yes,  you  may  love  him.  Only  you  must  not  let 
him  in." 

"  May  we  invite  him  to  supper  ?  "  asked  the  Little 
Breeze  that  liked  to  give  people  things  to  eat. 

"  Yes,  you  may  invite  him  to  supper.  Only  you 
must  not  let  him  in." 

All  this  time  the  Mother  Breeze  was  busy  mixing 
some  magic  paste;  and  when  she  had  finished  it  she 
went  out,  laid  the  leaf  over  the  door,  and  pasted  it 
round  the  edges.  And  while  she  worked,  the  Little 
Breezes  screamed  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  hoping 
she  might  leave  the  door  open,  or  even  stay  at  home. 

"  Oh !  oh  I  "  they  cried.  "  It 's  very  dark  in  here !  " 


SHE  BLEW   ON  THE   PASTE  FOR  A  MOxMENT 


THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY  155 

"  Oh !  oh !  it 's  very  tight  in  here !  " 

"  Oh !  oh !  it 's  very  cold  in  here ! " 

But  the  Mother  Breeze  was  quite  used  to  that,  and 
when  she  had  done  pasting,  she  blew  on  the  paste  for 
a  moment  to  be  sure  it  was  dry,  and  then  she  shook 
the  leaf  to  see  if  it  was  firm;  and  with  her  mind  at 
ease,  she  hurried  off  to  the  Sunset  Lake. 

Now  as  soon  as  the  Little  Breezes  were  quite  sure 
she  had  gone,  they  stopped  screaming  and  began  to 
whistle  merrily.  They  whistled  for  an  hour,  and  then 
they  had  a  game  of  tag,  and  then  a  game  of  puss-in- 
the-corner,  and  then  a  game  of  race-round-the-table. 
And  when  at  last  they  heard  the  Sun  outside  saying 
it  was  twelve  o'clock,  they  got  their  seven  little  por- 
ringers and  sat  down  contentedly  to  eat  their  dinner. 
And  as  they  were  eating  the  last  drop,  what  should 
they  hear  outside  but  a  Noise  !  So  they  set  down  their 
porringers  very  softly  and  held  their  breaths  to  listen. 

And  they  whispered  in  each  other's  ears,  the  oldest 
Little  Breeze  to  the  Next  Little  Breeze,  and  the  Next 
Little  Breeze  to  the  Next  Little  Breeze :  "  It  is  the 
Green  Goblin.  For  he  never  comes  without  a  Noise." 

"  Little  Breezes,"  said  some  one  from  outside, "  Little 
Breezes,  are  you  at  home?  I  have  come  to  call." 

It  was  the  voice  of  the  Green  Goblin,  and  they 


156  THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY 

knew  it  well.  So  the  oldest  Little  Breeze  whispered 
to  the  Next  Little  Breeze,  and  the  Next  Little  Breeze 
to  the  Next  Little  Breeze,  and  so  on :  "  It  is  the  Green 
Goblin." 

Now  the  Little  Breeze  that  liked  to  talk  put  her 
finger  on  her  lip  and  looked  at  all  the  others.  And 
when  they  were  perfectly  still,  she  called  to  the  Green 
Goblin:  "We  are  not  at  home  to-day." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  are,  Little  Breezes,"  said  the  Green 
Goblin;  "  for  I  hear  you  talk." 

"  You  don't  hear  us  at  all,  for  we  are  very  still,'' 
said  the  Little  Breeze  that  liked  to  talk.  "  But  we 
hear  you,  and  we  know  you  are  the  Green  Goblin,  for 
you  never  go  about  without  a  Noise." 

"Indeed,  I  am  not  the  Green  Goblin,"  said  the 
visitor  earnestly.  "  I  am  a  beautiful  fairy,  and  I  have 
come  to  call." 

"  No,  you  are  not  a  fairy,"  said  the  Little  Breeze 
that  liked  to  talk.  "  Fairies  go  about  softly  alone,  and 
you  have  come  with  a  Noise." 

Then  the  Green  Goblin  turned  away,  and  they 
heard  him  muttering  off  through  the  bushes,  and  Noise 
was  with  him.  And  the  Little  Breezes  began  to  whistle, 
as  they  washed  their  porringers  and  hung  them  on 
the  wall. 


THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY  157 

Meantime  the  Green  Goblin  had  sped  away  to  the 
Thunder,  and  said  to  him :  "  I  want  to  get  rid  of  this 
Noise.  Can  you  do  anything  with  him?" 

"  Oh,  yes,"  growled  the  Thunder,  "  and  forty  Hke 
him.  Only  you  must  promise  not  to  have  anything  to 
do  with  him  again,  or  any  of  his  family,  for  I  like  to 
keep  the  ^Noises  to  myself." 

"I  promise,"  said  the  Green  Goblin;  and  he  went 
back  softly  to  the  tree,  and  there  he  said  again :  "  O 
Little  Breezes,  are  you  at  home?  I  have  come  to 
call." 

"  Who  are  you?"  asked  the  Little  Breeze  that  liked 
to  laugh. 

And  he  answered :  "  I  am  a  beautiful  fairy,  and  I 
have  come  to  call." 

Then  the  Little  Breeze  began  to  laugh  so  that  she 
could  hardly  speak,  and  she  said:  "Ho!  ho!  you  a 
fairy !  fairies  have  sweet  voices,  and  your  voice  is  the 
voice  of  a  Green  Goblin." 

Then  the  Green  Goblin  sped  away,  and  he  said 
to  the  Brook :  "  Brook,  give  me  some  of  your  beauti- 
ful voice." 

Now  the  Brook  was  singing  all  to  herself,  and  she 
kept  on  singing  as  if  she  wove  the  new  words  into 
her  song :  — 


158  THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY 

"  That  will  I  do,  only  you  must  promise  never  to 
stir  up  my  waters  again  so  that  the  cattle  cannot 
drink." 

"  I  promise,"  said  the  Green  Goblin;  and  he  went 
back  softly  to  the  tree,  and  said  in  the  loveliest 
voice  that  ever  was :  "  Little  Breezes,  are  you  at 
home?  I  am  a  beautiful  fairy,  and  I  have  come  to 
call." 

Now  the  Little  Breezes  were  so  enchanted  with 
his  voice  that  for  a  moment  they  were  inclined  to  blow 
down  the  leaf  and  let  him  in.  For,  though  their  mother 
had  pasted  it  very  tight,  she  had  always  told  them 
that  if  something  really  important  happened,  such  as 
a  fire  in  the  forest  or  an  axe  in  the  tree,  they  must 
blow  with  all  their  might  and  get  away. 

"  But  she  never  told  us  we  might  open  it  to  a  fairy," 
said  the  Little  Breeze  that  liked  to  talk. 

"  ]N'o,  but  she  lets  us  play  with  fairies  when  we  are 
out,"  said  the  Little  Breeze  that  liked  to  give  people 
things  to  eat,  "  and  she  lets  us  invite  them  home  to 
supper." 

"  I  '11  tell  you,"  said  the  Little  Breeze  that  liked  to 
scold,  "  even  if  it  is  a  fairy,  it  will  be  more  fun  to  pre- 
tend it  is  the  Green  Goblin,  and  then  we  can  give 
him  a  piece  of  our  minds."  So  she  called  out  through 


THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY  159 

the  leaf,  "  You  wicked,  wicked  Goblin,  what  do  you 
mean  by  saying  you  are  a  fairy?  Fairies  have  blue 
eyes,  and  yours  are  green.  Fairies  have  pink  cheeks, 
and  yours  are  green.  Fairies  have  a  white  skin,  and 
yours  is  green." 

Then  the  Green  GobUn  sped  away  to  the  Sky,  and 
he  said :  "  O  Sky,  give  me  some  of  your  blue  to  put 
in  my  eyes." 

"That  will  I,"  said  the  Sky;  "only  you  must 
promise  never  to  make  faces  at  me  again." 

"  I  promise,"  said  the  Green  Goblin. 

Then  he  sped  away  to  the  Apple  Tree  in  Bloom, 
and  he  said  to  her :  "  O  Apple  Tree  in  Bloom,  give 
me  some  of  your  white  for  my  skin  and  some  of  your 
pink  for  my  cheeks." 

"  That  will  I,"  said  the  Apple  Tree  in  Bloom ;  "  only 
you  must  promise  never  to  shake  little  birds  out  of 
their  nests  in  my  branches." 

"  I  promise,"  said  the  Green  Goblin ;  and  he  went 
back  softly  to  the  tree  and  said :  "  Little  Breezes,  are 
you  at  home?  I  am  a  beautiful  fairy,  and  I  have  come 
to  call." 

"  Oh,"  cried  the  Little  Breeze  that  liked  to  praise 
everybody,  "  what  a  beautiful  Green  Goblin  there  is 
outside !  How  straight  and  green  his  hair  is,  and  what 


160  THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY 

a  lovely  figure  he  has  for  a  goblin !  It  is  like  a  tub 
on  two  sticks ! " 

Then  the  Goblin  sped  away  to  the  cornfield,  and 
said  to  the  Corn:  ^^O  Corn,  will  you  give  me  some 
of  your  silk  for  my  hair  ? " 

"That  will  I,"  said  the  Corn;  "only  you  must 
promise  not  to  put  black  mildew  on  my  stalks." 

"  I  promise,"  said  the  Green  Goblin. 

Then  he  sped  away  to  the  fern-bed. 

"  O  Ferns,"  said  he,  "  will  you  give  me  some  of  your 
waving  grace  and  some  of  your  green  garments?" 

"  That  will  we,"  said  the  Ferns;  "  only  you  must 
promise  not  to  trample  us  any  more." 

"  I  promise,"  said  the  Green  Goblin;  and  he  went 
back  softly  to  the  tree,  and  said:  "Little  Breezes, 
are  you  at  home  ?  I  am  a  beautiful  fairy,  and  I  have 
come  to  call." 

"  A  beautiful  fairy  indeed!  "  said  the  Little  Breeze 
that  had  sharp  ears.  "  Your  heart  is  a  goblin  heart. 
I  can  hear  it  beat." 

Now,  a  goblin  heart  is  quite  different  from  any 
other,  and  it  beats  in  a  peculiar  manner.  Then  the 
Green  Goblin  sped  away  to  the  farmyard,  where  there 
was  a  good  dog  lying  asleep  in  the  sun,  and  he  cried 
to  him:  "  O  Dog,  give  me  some  of  your  heart-beats ! " 


THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY  161 

"  That  will  I,"  said  the  Dog  from  his  slumber; 
"  only  you  must  promise  to  keep  them  warm." 

"  I  promise,"  said  the  Green  Goblin,  and  he  went 
back  to  the  tree. 

But  as  he  stood  there  he  looked  down  at  himself, 
and  he  saw  that  instead  of  his  own  stiff  legs  he  had  a 
waving  robe  of  lovely  green,  and  from  the  hem  of 
it  peeped  two  little  white  feet  of  an  exquisite  shape. 
And  he  looked  at  his  hands,  and  they  were  white, 
and  a  long  golden  tress  of  hair  came  down  over  his 
shoulder.  And  in  his  wonder  he  whispered  to  himself: 

"  Surely  I  am  a  fairy.  Yet  I  was  not  born  a  fairy. 
I  was  not  a  fairy  all  at  once.  I  must  be  a  Gradual 
Fairy." 

Then  he  thought  of  the  price  he  had  paid  for  all 
the  things  that  had  made  him  a  Gradual  Fairy,  and 
his  promises  not  to  do  wicked  tricks  any  more.  But 
now  it  seemed  a  small  price  to  pay,  for  he  could  not 
think  of  any  wicked  tricks  he  wished  to  do.  And  his 
heart  beat  so  swiftly  and  gave  him  such  a  delightful 
feeling  that  he  put  his  hand  over  it  to  keep  it  warm. 
Yet  it  was  still  very  hot  in  the  forest,  and  he  opened 
his  lips  again  to  tell  the  Little  Breezes  he  had  come 
to  call;  but  what  he  said  was  this: 

"  Little  Breezes,  it  is  very  hot  to-day,  and  if  you 


162  THE  GRADUAL  FAIRY 

come  out  some  one  may  breathe  you  up.  Stay  quite 
still,  as  your  mother  bade  you,  and  at  six  o'clock  she 
will  be  home." 

"Oh,"  cried  the  Little  Breeze  that  liked  to  love 
everybody,  "  how  sweet  and  kind  you  sound !  Nobody 
but  a  fairy  could  be  so  sweet  and  kind.  We  love  you 
very  much." 

"  And  won't  you  stay  to  supper  ?  "  called  the  Little 
Breeze  that  liked  to  give  people  things  to  eat. 

"I  will  stay  here,"  said  the  Gradual  Fairy,  "till 
your  mother  comes,  and  see  that  nothing  harms  you. 
Have  your  afternoon  nap,  Little  Breezes,  and  do  not 
be  afraid." 

Then  the  Little  Breezes  dropped  off  to  sleep,  and 
they  knew  no  more  until,  at  six  o'clock,  their  mother 
blew  open  the  leaf  and  came  in.  And  all  the  Little 
Breezes  woke,  one  by  one,  as  she  took  their  porringers 
from  the  wall. 

"  I  shall  have  to  hurry  and  get  supper,"  said  she, 
"  for  there  is  the  most  beautiful  fairy  outside,  and  I 
have  asked  her  to  stay.  Dear  me!  what  a  happy 
Breeze  I  am,  to  have  plenty  of  work  and  a  warm 
season,  and  children  that  are  good  all  day,  and  a  fairy 
to  come  to  tea!  " 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

CHARACTERS 

The  Mother  Breeze 

The  Six  Little  Breezes 

Captain  Rabbit 

Captain  Squirrel 

Captain  Bear 

The  Green  Goblin 

Fairies  J  zephyrs,  flowers  and  hutterflies 

TJie  Green  Goblin  is  dressed  in  a  suit  of  pea-gr^een. 
His  little  hands  end  in  claios.  His  little  feet  turn 
up  at  the  toes,  A  little  tight  green  hood  with 
pointed  ears  comes  round  and  down  on  his  cheehs 
and  forehead.  He  is  not  ugly,  hid  only  queer  and 
charming.  After  his  transformation  into  a  fairy 
he  has  a  ^pointed  red  cap  and  white  tunic,  tights 
and  shoes. 

The  Wish  Woman  is  dressed  in  a  woodsy  licheny 
hrown,  with  mantle  and  hood,  and  carries  a  staff, 

SCENE:   A  green-colcyred  place  in  a  wood,  with 


164  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

shadowy  trees  in  tlie  hacJcground,  In  the  centre 
of  the  stage,  hack,  is  an  immense  tree,  the  hrown 
trunk  enormous  and  the  loio  flat  sjjreading 
branches  reaching  from  left  to  right  wing. 

Mother.  It 's  going  to  be  very  hot  to-day. 
Little  Breezes  {sing).  It 's  going  to  be  the  hottest 
day 

We  breezes  ever  knew; 

And  when  our  noonday  nap  we  take 

The  world  will  scorch  till  we  awake, 

And  all  the  foolish  human  things 

Will  say  they  're  scorching,  too. 

They  '11  say,  "  The  hottest,  hottest  day! 

We  think,  we  fear. 

It  is  the  hottest  day  for  many  a  year.'' 

And  then,  in  their  stupidity, 

They  will  repeat, 

"  It 's  not  the  heat, 

It 's  the  humidity." 
First  Breeze.    Is   General    Humidity   coming  to 

luncheon  to-day  ? 
Mother.  No,  not  to-day.  He  has  gone  to  see  your 

uncle  Tornado,  in  the  South  Pacific.    They're 

starting  a  whirlpool  trust  down  there. 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN  165 

Second  Breeze.  Are  you  going  to  buy  any  stock, 

mamma  ? 
Mother.    Yes,   I   shall  take  a   little   flutter.    N"ow 

listen.  I  've  got  to  fly  away  to  Sunset  Lake. 
First  Breeze.  Please  let  us  go  with  you. 
Second  Breeze.  Please,  please  let  us  go  with  you. 
Fourth   Breeze.   Please,  please,  please  let  us  go 

with  you. 
Fifth  Breeze.  Please,  please,  please,  please  let  us 

go  with  you. 
All  the  Breezes.   Please,   please,  please,   please, 

please,  please  let  us  go  with  you. 
Mother  (sings).  No,  you  cannot  go. 

No,  no,  I  tell  you  so. 
You  cannot  go. 
(SpeaJcing.)  If  I  were  going  for  an  hour  you  might 

go.  If  I  were  going  for  two  hours  you  might  go. 

But  I  am  going  for  a  very  little  blow,  and  straight 

back  again,  and  you  would  be  tired. 
First  Breeze.  Shall  you  shut  us  up  in  the  tree  while 

you  are  gone  ? 
Mother.  Yes.  You  can  play  all  the  games  you  like 

and  tell  all  the  stories  you  like.  And  when  you 

whisper,  everybody  will  say,  "Hear  the  wind  in 

the  trees ! " 


166  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

Second  Beeeze.  Oh,  but  it 's  dark  in  there,  and  we 

can't  see  to  play ! 
Mother.  If  you  find  it  too  dark  inside,  you  can  run 

out  among  the  leaves.  You  may  talk  to  the  birds 

and  talk  to  the  butterflies.    But  if  the  Green 

Goblin  comes,  you  must  not  let  him  in. 
FmsT  Breeze.  May  n't  we  fly  out  and  play  with  him? 
Mother.  No,  no.  He  would  breathe  you  all  up  in 

two  seconds. 
Fourth  Breeze.  May  we  speak  to  him  ? 
Mother.  Yes,  you  may  speak  to  him,  but  you  must 

not  let  him  in. 
Fifth  Breeze.  May  we  make  fun  of  him  ? 
Mother.  Yes,  you  may  make  fun  of  him,  but  you 

must  not  let  him  in. 
Sixth  Breeze.  May  we  blow  leaves  on  him  ? 
Mother.  Yes,  you  may  blow  leaves  on  him,  but  you 

must  not  let  him  in. 
First  Breeze.  Of  course  we  should  n't  let  him  in. 

We  should  look  down  to  see  who  it  was,  and 

then   he  might   knock   till   he  knocked  all   his 

claws  off. 
Mother.  Ah,  but  he  '11  hide  down  here  by  the  door 

and  make  you  think  he  's  a  fairy. 
Second  Breeze.  How  could  he  do  that  ? 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN  167 

Mother.  He  'd  ring  a  fairy  bluebell,  or  he  'd  knock 

with  a  fairy  stone  or  fairy  wood.  But  you  must 

not  let  him  in. 
Sixth  Breeze.  He  may  not  come  to-day. 
Mother.  He  is  sure  to  come,  because  it's  market 

day. 
Fourth  Breeze.  May  we  go  to  market. 
Mother.  No,  you  may  not.  You  must  stay  in  the 

tree.    I  was  foolish  to  hire  a  tree  here  in  the 

market-place  with  everything  to  tempt  you.  But 

it 's  a  roomy  tree  with  modern  conveniences,  and 

I  find  it  easy  to  do  my  work. 
Fourth  Breeze.  What  makes  you  think  the  Green 

Goblin  will  come  to  market  ? 
Mother.  Because  the  rabbits  and  the  bears  and  the 

butterflies  are  all  coming  to  buy  wishes  from  the 

Wish  AVoman,  and  the  Green  Goblin  will  come 

to  tease  them. 
Sixth  Breeze.  I  don't  believe  the  Green  Goblin  is 

so  very  bad. 
Mother.  That 's  because  you  are  little  Breezes,  and 

you  don't  know.    If  you  were  grown  up  to  be 

Winds,  you  would  n't  be  so  silly. 
(Sings.)  He  's  a  naughty  Green  Goblin. 
He  vexes  the  wood 


168  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

"Where  all  the  dear  beasties 
Are  glad  to  be  good. 
He  frightens  the  rabbits 
Away  from  the  spring. 
He  screams  at  the  robins 
"Whenever  they  sing. 
(SjpeaJcs.)  Now  run  in.  I  '11  shut  you  up  in  the  tree. 
First  Breeze.  Oh,  one  more  dance,  one  little,  little 
dance  before  you  shut  us  up.  Fan  in  the  Zephyrs 
and  we  '11  dance  with  them. 
{They  heckon  with  their  fans.  Enter  the  Zephyrs, 
Tliey  all  dance  and  then  the  mother  sings  the 
farewell  song,) 

My  children  dear,  good-by. 
Old  Nature  toils  and  so  must  I. 
The  sun  is  stoking  for  the  fray. 
Before  I  woke  I  heard  him  say, 
^'  I  '11  scorch  them,  women,  children,  men, 
And  flowers  and  grass,  and  then, 
"Why,  then  I  '11  scorch  them  once  again." 
My  children  dear,  good-by. 
Breezes  {sing).  Do  not  work  too  hard. 
Remember, 

There  's  the  eight-hour  law 
Till  September. 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN  169 

Then  we  can  rage  and  whiff  and  shout, 
And  turn  umbrellas  inside  out. 
But  not  until  September. 
Dear  mother,  pray  remember. 
Mother.  I  'm  not  a  union  Breeze,  although  some- 
times I  strike. 
My  clients  I  must  please,  and  I  treat  them  all 

ahke. 
I  cool  a  forehead,  steal  a  hat  and  blow  the  bunt- 
ing free. 
And  set  the  shadows  dancing  on   the   silvery 
poplar  tree. 
Chorus  of  Breezes  and  Zephyrs.  She  blows  and 
blows  and  no  one  knows 
Where  next  the  blow  will  strike. 
For  she  's  an  honest  workman 
And  she  treats  them  all  alike. 
Mother.  I  ramp  and  roar  on  sandy  shore  and  on  the 
stormy  seas. 
I'm  the  sailor's  to  command  when  he  whistles 

for  a  breeze. 
I  crack  the  sheet  and  snap  the  mast  and  tear  the 

rigging  free. 
And  Jacky  Tar  cries  out,  ^^  Aha !  oh,  you  're  the 
Breeze  for  me !  " 


170  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

Chorus  of  Beeezes  anb  Zephyes.  He  cries  with 
joy,  "  Hooray !  Ahoy !  " 
He  makes  an  awful  fuss. 
But  we  cry,  too,  your  children  do, 
"  Oh,  you  're  the  Breeze  for  us !  " 

(Mother  at  the  door  in  the  tree  trunJc,) 
Mother  (sings).  About  this  door  I  weave  a  magic 
spell. 
"Who  knocks  or  calls  or  rings  a  fairy  bell, 
Shall  wait  without  until  I  come 
Back  from  my  labor  to  my  happy  home. 
I  weave  the  spell  — 
Breezes  (sing).  Oh,  do  not  weave  the  spell! 
We  know  so  well 
The  havoc  wrought, 
The  anguish  brought, 
By  modern  spelling 
Inside  a  dwelling. 
Mother.  I  weave  the  spell  — 
Breezes  (sorrowfully).  She  weaves  the  spell! 

Exeunt  Mother  and  Zephyrs,  Little  Breezes  open 
door  in  tree,  go  inside  and  close  door  after  them. 
Enter  Oreen  Gfohlin,  Dances  Gohlin  Dance  and 
thenpicJcs  a  hluehell  from  the  flower  hank  near  and 
rings  it,  still  dancing,  at  the  door  of  the  tree.  The 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN  171 

Little  Breezes  appear  above  among  the  leaves. 
They  call  down  to  him, 
FmsT  Bkeeze.   You  needn't   ring  the   fairy  bell, 
Green  Goblin.  AVe  know  you. 
The  Green  Gioblin  dances  Gohlin  Dance^  p)icTcs  up 
a  stone  and  hiocTcs  at  the  door  in  the  tree. 
Second   Breeze.    You  needn't   knock   with  fairy 
stones,  Green  Goblin.  We  know  you. 
The  Green  Goblin  dances  Goblin  DancCj  brealcs  a 
tioigfrom  the  tree  and  knocks  on  the  door  of  the  tree. 
Third  Breeze.  You  need  n't  knock  with  fairy  wood, 

Green  Goblin.  We  know  you. 
Sixth  Breeze.    Aha!   You're  pretending  to  be  a 
fairy.  But  you  're  not  a  fairy.  You  are  a  Green 
Goblin  and  you  've  come  to  breathe  us  up. 
Breezes  {sing),  Down  there,  down  there,  underneath 
the  tree. 
You  are  dancing  round  there  —  you  think  we 

cannot  see. 
But  we  're  the  Little  Breezes  all  safe  and  sound 

inside ; 
We  know  you  can't  get  at  us  and  so  we  need  n't 
hide. 
The  Green  Goblin^  with  a  branchy  marks  out  a  ring 
in  front  of  the  tree  and  dances  in  that. 


172  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

Fourth  Breeze.  Aha !  you  're  pretending  to  be  a 
fairy.  But  you  are  not  a  fairy.  You  are  the 
Green  Goblin  and  you've  come  to  breathe  us 
up. 

Fifth  Breeze.  "We  see  your  cap  — your  cap  is  green, 

The  greenest  cap  we  've  ever  seen. 
Enter  the  Wish  Woman,  The  Green  Gohlin^  at  sight 
of  her^  dances  away  and  hides  hehind  a  hush. 

Wish  Woman  (sings), 

I  'm  the  Wish  Woman, 
Something  half  fay,  something  half  human. 
Come  to  me,  Creatures,  come  out  of  the  wood, 
Wish  for  the  bad  or  wish  for  the  good : 
For  this  one  day,  be  you  beastie  or  fay. 
Is  yours  for  your  good  or  your  mischievous  way. 
Enter  Cajdain  Rahhit, 

Captain  Eabbit.  Wish  Woman,  I  've  come  to  wish  I 
could  have  a  white  coat  for  winter. 

Wish  Woman.  Shall  have  it,  shall  have  it.  Tour  wish 
has  been  spoken. 

Enter  Captain  Squirrel, 

Captain  Squirrel.  Wish  Woman,  I  've  come  to  wish 
everything  could  be  nuts  to  me. 

Wish  Woman.  Shall  have  it,  shall  have  it.  Your  wish 
has  been  spoken. 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN  173 

Enter  Captain  Bea7\ 
Captain  Bear.  Wish  Woman,  I  wish  I  had  a  honey- 
comb to  comb  my  hair. 
Wish  Womak.  Shall  have  it,  shall  have  it.  Your  wish 

has  been  spoken. 
First  Breeze.  Wish  Woman,  I  want  to  see  a  fairy 

dance. 
Wish  Wo:man.  Shall  have  it,  shall  have  it.  Your  wish 
has  been  spoken.  {Waves  and  heckons,   Enter 
troop  of  fairies.  Fairy  Dance,  Captain  Rdbhit, 
Captain  Squirrel j  Captain  Bear  also  dance) 
Sixth  Breeze.    I  wish   I   could    see    a    butterfly 

dance. 
Wish  Woman.  Shall  have  it,  shall  have  it.  Your  wish 
has  been  spoken.    (Waves  and  heclcmis.    Enter 
hutterfiies  and  dance  with  fairies.    The  Green 
Qoblin   holds   a   branch    to   hide    himself   and 
dances  round  them.    They  irealc  up  and  show 
terror,) 
Butterflies  {sing), 

Eun,  run,  fairies,  run ! 

Fur  and  feathers,  fly  and  fleet ! 

Let  your  feet 

Never  stop,  though  you  drop. 


174  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

For  he  comes,  the  Goblin  comes. 
Fairies.     He  '11  pinch  us  and  scratch  us 
And  make  awful  faces. 
He  '11  chase  us  and  catch  us 
To  show  his  grimaces. 
All.  The  Goblin !  the  Goblin ! 

The  Goblin  dressed  in  green. 
Captain  Rdbhitj  Captain  Squirrel^  and  Captain 

Bear  sing  trio. 
Captain  Eabbit.  What's  a  goblin? 
Captain  Bear.  What 's  a  goblin? 
Captain  Squirrel.  What's  a  goblin? 
Trio.   It 's  something  hobblin'  through  the  wood 
And  wobblin'  round  the  tree. 
It 's  neither  pretty,  sweet,  nor  good 
For  fairy  eyes  to  see. 
His  claws  are  sharp,  his  toes  turn  up, 
The  funniest  ever  seen. 
And  oh,  my  garters !  oh,  my  stars ! 
He 's  always  dressed  in  green. 
Exeunt  Captain  Ralibit^  Captain  Squirrel,  Captain 
Bear,  hutter flies  and  fairies.  The  Green  Goblin 
dances,  a  triumpliant  dance,  in  derision  of  them, 
then  a  sad  one,  and  goes  heseechingly  to  the  Wish 
Woman, 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN  175 

Wish  Woman  to  Green  Goblin  (sings), 

I  am  the  Wish  Woman,  naughty  dear. 
Tell  me  your  wish  and  never  fear. 
What  do  you  want  from  out  my  store? 
Help  yourself  and  come  for  more. 
The  Green  Oohlin  points  to  Ms  cap  with  distaste. 
A  cap?  That's  easy  done. 

Eun! 
Run  to  the  columbine  there  by  the  spring. 
Pull  off  a  blossom  and  now  while  I  sing 
Stretch  it  and  stretch  it  and  stretch  it  with 
might ! 
Pull  it  on  tight. 
^xit  Green  Gohlin,  dancing.  The   Wish  Woman 
imitates  Mm  in  admiration.    Enter  the   Green 
Gohlin  p)utting  on,  with  great  deligM,  a  red  co- 
lumbine cap.   Goes  triumphantly  and  Tcnochs  at 
the  door  in  the  tree, 
FiEST  AND  Sixth  Breezes  {sing). 

We  know  you  still,  Green  Goblin. 

Your  cap  is  very  well. 

But  only  see  your  dreadful  claws ! 

Why,  any  one  could  tell 

You  're  nothing  but  a  goblin, 

A  goblin  dressed  in  green. 


176  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

(Chorus  from  without.) 

His  claws  are  sharp,  his  toes  turn  up, 
The  funniest  ever  seen. 
And  oh,  my  garters !  oh,  my  stars ! 
He 's  always  dressed  in  green. 
The  Oreen  Gohlin  dances  a  sorrowful  dance,  and 
goes    to    the    Wish    Woman,    holding    out    his 
hands. 
Wish  Woman  {sings). 

You  want  to  change  your  naughty  claws 
For  helpful  hands  ? 
My  magic  carpet 's  there  outside, 
Get  on,  and  teach  yourself  to  ride. 
And  in  a  second  you  '11  be  where 
The  North  Pole  rises  up  in  air. 
There  wash  your  hands  in  baths  of  snow, 
And  ere  it  melts,  fly  down  below 
Straight  to  the  Equinoctial  Line 
And  hang  them  out  for  seconds  nine. 
Exit  Oreen  Gohlin, 
Fifth  Breeze.  Wish  Woman,  I  wish  I  could  see 
Captain  Rabbit  and  Captain  Squirrel  dance  with 
Captain  Bear. 
Wish  Woman.   Shall  have  it,  shall  have  it.   Your 
wish  has  been  spoken.    {Waves  and  hecJcons, 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN  177 

Enter  Captain  Rahhit,  Captain  Squirrel,  and 
Captain  Bear,  and  dance  uncoidJily,  Enter  Qreen 
GrobVin,  with  heautifid  white  hands.  Exeunt  Cap- 
tain JRahhit,  Captain  Squirrel,  and  Captain 
Bear,  The  Green  Goblin  dances  delightedly  and 
then  Icnocks  at  the  door  in  the  tree,) 
Wish  "Womajs"  [sings), 

O  darling  hands  so  soft  and  white ! 
No  wrong  you  '11  do,  but  only  right. 
Who  has  two  fairy  hands 
He  plainly  understands 
Within  this  fairy  wood 
No  evil  can  he  do,  but  only  good. 
The  Green  Gohlin  keeps  dancing,  Jcnoching  at  in- 
tervals. 
Fourth  Breeze. 

But  one  new  cap  and  two  new  hands 

Won't  make  an  elf. 
You  know  that 's  so  yourself. 
Breezes  {sing). 

You  think  you  are  a  fairy, 
But  we  know  you're  not  a  fay; 
And  what  you  are  we  plainly  see, 
But  we  laugh  too  much  to  say. 


178  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

Your  cap  is  very  comely  and  your  steps  are  very 

fleet; 
But  look  at  your  extremities!    They're  ugly 
goblin  feet. 
The  Green  Ooblin  dances  and  heseeches  the  Wish 

Woman, 
Wish  "Woman.  What  more  shall  I  give  you  ?  what 
more  ?  what  more  ? 
A  pair  of  pretty  fairy  feet, 
Little,  tender,  flying,  fleet  ? 
(Sings.)  Don't  be  sorry. 
Do  not  worry. 
If  you  want  it,  I  will  give  it. 
You  can  use  it.  Never  lose  it, 
The  receipt 
For  fairy  feet. 
Take  a  grain  of  star-shine. 
So  the  feet  will  twinkle. 
Take  a  diamond's  smoothness, 
So  the  skin  won't  wrinkle. 
Take  some  almond  paste  and  pearl, 
Take  a  pinch  of  whirlwind's  whirl, 
Or  take  —  I  have  them  here  to-day  — 
The  feet  of  Mademoiselle  Genee. 
TaJces  two  little  white  feet  out  of  her  pouch.  The 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN  179 

Q-reen  Goblin  snatches  them,  sits  down  hack  to 
the  audience,  throws  his  green  feet  aside  and  ap- 
parently  slips  on  the  white  feet   Dances  ecsta- 
tically. 
Wish  Woman  (sings).  Fairy  feet  are  feet  that  walk 
to  duty. 
Fairy  feet  are  feet  that  run  to  beauty, 
To  fun,  to  pleasure,  to  delight, 
To  dances  in  the  ring  by  night. 
The  Green  Gohlin  picks  np  a  Green  Gohlin  foot 
and  knocks  at  tlie  door  in  the  tree. 
First  Breeze  {sings).  Your  feet  are  fairy  feet. 
You  could  run  a  fairy  race, 
But  your  cheeks  are  green  as  leeks. 
You  Ve  an  ugly  Goblin  face. 
The  Green  Gohlin  dances  up  to  Wish  Woman  and 
beseechingly  offers  petition  to  her. 
Wish  Woman.  To  change  the  color  of  your  skin 
We  must  begin 

With  sorrow's  pallor  for  your  sin 
Against  the  beasties  in  the  wood. 
With  red  of  love  and  gentlehood: 
For  fairies  here  are  always  good. 
The  rose  will  give  you  red 
For  your  cheek. 


180  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

But  you  must  be  as  sweet  as  she, 

Nor  even  seek 

To  make  a  face 

Or  black  grimace. 

The  apple-tree  will  give  you  white 

For  your  brow. 

But  you  must  be  as  pure  as  she. 

Go  now. 

Exit  the  Green  Ooblin, 
Sixth  Breeze.  O  "Wish  Woman,  I  wish  the  Green 

Goblin  had  a  lovely  fairy  dress. 
"Wish   Womais^.   Shall  have  it,  shall  have  it.    Your 
wish  has  been  spoken. 
{Beckons.)  Flowers  come  to  market ! 
Flowers  come  to  market ! 
Come  and  sell  your  red  and  white, 
Come  and  sell  your  gold  and  blue. 

Enter  fiomers  of  all  colors  and  dance. 
Flowers  {sing).  Come  buy !  come  buy  ! 

Buy  of  the  apple  bloom,  pink  and  white, 
Buy  of  the  cherry,  whiter  than  white. 
Buy  of  the  larkspur,  purple  and  blue. 
Buy  of  the  heartease  blooming  for  you ! 
Come  buy !  come  buy ! 


THE  GREEN  GOBLIN  181 

Enter  the  Green  Goblin, 
The  Floicers  crowd  cibout  the  Green  Goblin  and 
enveloj)  him  in  gauzy  scarfs  of  many  colors. 
The  Green  Goblin  dances  and  unrolls  them  and 
steps  forth  a  lovely  fairy  in  white. 
Breezes.  O  now  't  is  a  fairy  we  plainly  can  see, 
A  fairy,  a  fairy,  to  afternoon  tea ! 
O  where  is  our  mother  to  open  the  tree. 
So  this  sweet  lovely  fairy  can  drop  in  to  tea? 
Enter  Mother,  Opens  the  door,  [Siyigs,) 
At  last  I  'm  home. 
Come,  children,  come. 
{Sees  the  fairy  ivaiting  modestly.   Makes  a  low  obeis' 

ance  to  her  and  begins  fanning  her,) 
Mother  {sings),  A  fairy  at  my  door ! 
One  I  never  saw  before ! 
The  sweetest,  too,  the  dearest, 
The  darlingest,  the  fairest. 
Enter  the  Zephyrs  and  begin  fanning  the  new 
fairy.  The  Little  Breezes  enter  from  the  tree  to 
fan  her. 
All  {sing).  Gracious,  lovely,  darling  one. 
Here  beneath  the  smiling  sun 
Deign  to  tread  this  magic  ground 


182  THE  GREEN  GOBLIN 

In  a  fairy  ring  around. 
Be  our  princess,  be  our  queen, 
Be  the  loveliest  ever  seen, 
Here  beneath  this  laughing  sun. 
Gracious,  lovely,  darling  one. 
All  dance. 

CUETAIN. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN     INITIAL     FINE     OF     25     CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


5   193!' 


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MAR  2  7  \m  3 
REC'D  Ld 


LD  21-50m-l,'3i 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


